- Date
- January 7, 2015, 09:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N70037Cessna A185E
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150107000222A
- Case key
- 90586
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 set the throttle prior to engine start, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with parked airplanes.
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 while preparing for the flight, he initiated the engine starting procedure. This procedure included steps to advance the throttle and engage the electric fuel pump, in order to prime the fuel system. A subsequent step required that the throttle setting be reduced to idle position before engaging the starter motor. The pilot stated that for this step, he unintentionally pulled the propeller control out instead of the throttle control, and when he engaged the starter, the engine started and immediately went to full RPM. The airplane then travelled across the ramp and struck two parked airplanes, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's left elevator. The airplane then went through an opening in a snowbank and came to rest about 150 yards from where it initially started. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that while preparing for the flight, he initiated the engine starting procedure. This procedure included steps to advance the throttle and engage the electric fuel pump, in order to prime the fuel system. A subsequent step required that the throttle setting be reduced to idle position before engaging the starter motor. The pilot stated that for this step, he unintentionally pulled the propeller control out instead of the throttle control, and when he engaged the starter, the engine started and immediately went to full RPM. The airplane then travelled across the ramp and struck two parked airplanes, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's left elevator. The airplane then went through an opening in a snowbank and came to rest about 150 yards from where it initially started. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70037
- Reported as
- Cessna A185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18501905
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 5,496
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 2014 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 81B · Lewiston, ME
- Destination
- RUT · Rutland, VT
- Airport
- 81B · Oxford County Rgnl
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 28, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,170 total · 1,870 in this make and model · 2,144 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 9 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.72 inHg
- Observed at
- KLEW, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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 N70037 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.