- Date
- October 29, 2022, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N778MSStephen J Hoffman MS-500
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20221029019702A
- Case key
- 106231
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 secure the magneto switch before attempting to hand rotate the engine which resulted in an inadvertent engine start, a runaway airplane, and subsequent impact with parked airplanes. Contributing to the accident was the failure to properly secure the airplane with chocks.
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 pilot reported that he was preparing for a display flight in a local airshow which included a preflight procedure to rotate the engine prior to start for lubrication purposes. During the procedure, the electric starter motor struggled to rotate the engine due to viscous oil because of cooler overnight temperatures, and the main circuit breaker had tripped. The pilot turned off all cockpit switches, but forgot to turn off the magneto switch, and exited the airplane. The pilot then utilized a hand crank to rotate the engine, and the engine unexpectedly started. The wheel chocks had been previously removed in preparation for the planned flight, and the airplane began to move. Several ground personnel attempted to stop the airplane but were unsuccessful before the airplane impacted two parked airplanes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N778MS
- Reported as
- Stephen J Hoffman MS-500
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 4
- Built
- 2018
- Airframe hours
- 69
- Engine
- Argus Motoren AS-10C, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 1, 2021
- Airport
- EFD · Ellington
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2021
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 57 in this make and model · 394 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KEFD, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KEFD 291754Z 25009KT 10SM BKN026 18/12 A3003
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.