- Date
- December 15, 2012, 14:31 local (19:31 UTC)
- Place
- Newport News, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N3915TPiper PA28R
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20121215027289A
- Case key
- 85832
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 properly monitor the flight controls (toe brake pedals) during 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 stated that he positioned his feet on the toe brake pedals during engine start. After starting, the engine accelerated to a higher rpm than the pilot expected, and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot pressed down with his feet, but the airplane continued to roll. After reducing the throttle to idle, the pilot attempted to steer the airplane with the rudder pedals, but they were fixed and would not move. As the airplane neared a hangar, the pilot shut down the engine with the fuel mixture control and turned the magneto switch off. The airplane then impacted the hangar, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the rudder pedal or toe brake systems. In a postaccident statement, the pilot offered that, rather than placing his feet on the brake pedals, he inadvertently pressed on the torque tube assembly, which is part of the airframe structure located above the toe brake pedals.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he positioned his feet on the toe brake pedals during engine start. After starting, the engine accelerated to a higher rpm than expected, and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot pressed down with his feet, but the airplane continued to roll. After reducing the throttle to idle, the pilot attempted to steer the airplane with the rudder pedals, but stated that they were fixed and would not move. As the airplane neared a hangar, the pilot shut down the engine with the fuel mixture control and turned the magneto switch off. The airplane then impacted the hangar, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no anomalies of the rudder pedal or toe brake systems. The pilot offered that he inadvertently pressed on the torque tube assembly, which was part of the airframe structure located above the toe brake pedals.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3915T
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30251
- Airframe hours
- 1,133.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rick Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Rick Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 2012
- Departed
- PHF · Newport News, VA
- Destination
- PHF · Newport News, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PHF · Newport News International
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 199 total · 18 in this make and model · 163 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- PHF
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 28, 2013, 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.