- Date
- March 11, 2020, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ankeny, IA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N83032Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200311000769A
- Case key
- 101069
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 improper starting procedure, which allowed the airplane to move forward over the wheel chocks and impact him and a hangar when he subsequently hand propped the engine.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that he attempted to hand prop the engine numerous times without success. He returned to the cockpit and turned the magneto switch to the "off" position and advanced the throttle to between 1/2 and 3/4 travel. He then exited the cockpit and turned the propeller backward five to six "blades" to clear the cylinders. The pilot again returned to the cockpit and turned the magneto switch back to the "on" position, but he did not retard the throttle back to idle. He attempted to hand prop the engine again, and it started. Due to the engine's throttle setting, the airplane moved forward over the wheel chocks and struck the pilot, which resulted in serious injuries, and then a hangar, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot attempted to hand-prop the airplane's engine without success. He turned off the magneto switch and advanced the throttle to between ½ to ¾ travel and then turned the propeller backwards 5-6 times to clear the cylinders. The pilot reported that he returned to the cockpit and turned the magneto switch back to the on position but did not put the throttle back to idle. He hand-propped the airplane a second time and the engine started. The engine's throttle setting allowed the airplane to move forward over the wheel chocks, and the airplane struck the pilot. A passenger was still in the airplane as it collided with a hangar, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall and fuselage. The pilot was seriously injured, and the passenger was not injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83032
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-1688
- Built
- 1956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Private Individual
- Registered owner
- Vintage Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- IKV · Ankeny Rgnl
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
- 65
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 18 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KIKV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.
Other investigations on N83032 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.