- Date
- June 27, 2006, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Indianapolis, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N3366JCessna 150G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060627012999A
- Case key
- 64176
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 intentionally leaving the airplane unoccupied during the engine start and the failure of the tail tie-down, which ultimately resulted in the unoccupied airplane becoming airborne.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The unoccupied airplane inadvertently became airborne and crashed shortly after the pilot hand-propped the engine. The pilot reported that he attempted to hand-prop the engine because the aircraft's battery had insufficient charge to utilize the electric starter. The pilot stated that he "tied the tail down" with an automotive style, webbed cargo strap. The pilot reported that after successfully starting the engine, the tail tie-down failed as he repositioned himself to get into the cabin. The pilot stated that he reached "in through the window and tried to pull the mixture out, but could not reach it." The pilot reported that he hung onto the aircraft as it began to accelerate forward, and believes he "moved the throttle more open" before having to let go of the airplane due to its increasing ground speed. The unoccupied airplane eventually became airborne and crashed about one mile from the ramp area. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used wheel chocks, utilized another tie-down on the tail, or had a person at the aircraft's controls during the hand-start.
Factual narrative
The unoccupied airplane inadvertently became airborne and crashed shortly after the pilot hand-propped the engine. The pilot reported that he attempted to hand-prop the engine because the aircraft's battery had insufficient charge to utilize the electric starter. The pilot stated that he "tied the tail down" with an automotive style, webbed cargo strap. The pilot reported that after successfully starting the engine, the tail tie-down failed as he repositioned himself to get into the cabin. The pilot stated that he reached "in through the window and tried to pull the mixture out, but could not reach it." The pilot reported that he hung onto the aircraft as it began to accelerate forward, and believes he "moved the throttle more open" before having to let go of the airplane due to its increasing ground speed. The unoccupied airplane eventually became airborne and crashed about one mile from the ramp area. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used wheel chalks, utilized another tie-down on the tail, or had a person at the aircraft's controls during the hand-start.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3366J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066066
- Airframe hours
- 3,950
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2005 · 50.2 hours before
- Departed
- MQJ · Indianapolis, IN
- Destination
- Indianapolis, IN
- Airport
- MQJ · Mount Comfort
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 560 total · 373 in this make and model · 447 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- GEZ, 16 nm away
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 N3366J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.