- Date
- November 24, 2013, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N113SFCessna 172
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20131124023289A
- Case key
- 88470
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after starting the engine, which resulted in a collision with a building.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane had just returned from a training flight and the engine was still warm. The pilot said she had difficulty starting the engine and opened the throttle "just a bit." She said she set the parking brake and her feet were on the brakes. When the engine started, it went to high rpm. The airplane lurched forward and collided with the fixed base operator building. Examination of the brake system revealed no anomalies
Factual narrative
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane had just returned from a training flight and the engine was still warm. The pilot told the inspector that she had difficulty starting the engine and opened the throttle "just a bit." She said she set the parking brake and her feet were on the brakes. The engine started and went to high rpm. The airplane lurched forward and collided with the fixed base operator building. The FAA inspector said he examined and tested the brake system and found no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N113SF
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8761
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 5,586
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gulf Coast Aviation
- Registered owner
- Desselle Aircraft Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 3, 2013 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- KNEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- KNEW · New Orleans, LA
- Airport
- KNEW · Lakefront
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 24, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 102 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KNEW
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.