- Date
- April 10, 2012, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N9518JPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120410006231A
- Case key
- 83366
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 control of the airplane after engine start.
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 had difficulty starting the engine. On the third attempt, the engine started at a high rpm, and the airplane rolled forward. The pilot applied left rudder and brakes and reduced the throttle to idle, but the airplane's forward momentum and engine rpm still seemed high, so the pilot used the mixture control to shut down the engine. However, the airplane struck a parked, unoccupied airplane before it stopped, and sustained substantial damage to its right wing. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
The airplane was parked on the ramp and the pilot reported that he had difficulty starting the engine. On the third attempt, the engine started at a high rpm, and the airplane rolled forward. The pilot applied left rudder to avoid a fuel truck, reduced the throttle to idle, and applied brakes; however, the airplane's forward momentum and engine rpm still seemed high. The pilot subsequently shut-down the engine; however, the airplane struck a parked, unoccupied airplane, and sustained substantial damage to its right wing. Examination of the airplane, which included the brake and throttle control systems did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9518J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3642
- Airframe hours
- 4,670
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jubilation Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Jubilation Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2011 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- 27K · Georgetown, KY
- Destination
- LEX · Lexington, KY
- Airport
- 27K · Georgetown
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 20 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LEX, 14 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.