- Date
- December 12, 2024, 11:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Tullahoma, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N161DWWolstenholme Dennis Pietenpol AIR Camper
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20241212018729A
- Case key
- 199426
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 adequately secure the airplane before hand-propping the engine. Contributing was the pilot’s lack of training in hand-propping procedures.
Findings · 3
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 had just finished fueling the airplane and was trying to start the engine. After several failed attempts to start the engine with the electric starter, the pilot decided to “hand prop” the engine. The pilot subsequently placed standard, low-profile general aviation wheel chocks under the wheels, but did not tie down or otherwise secure the airplane. Additionally, the pilot did not secure anyone to assist him and there was no qualified pilot seated in the airplane during his attempt to start the engine. As soon as the engine started, and the airplane’s wheels rolled over the chocks, and the airplane taxied into a closed hangar door, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings, and damaging the hangar doors. Following the accident, the pilot stated that he had not previously received any formal training for hand propping an airplane, but that a mechanic had shown him how to do it. He was not aware of recommended precautions like having a qualified and trained pilot at the controls or tying the airplane down.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N161DW
- Reported as
- Wolstenholme Dennis Pietenpol AIR Camper
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 787-393
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 343
- Engine
- Continental Motors C-85-12-F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 10, 2024 · 22 hours before
- Destination
- KFYM · Fayetteville, TN
- Airport
- THA · Tullahoma Rgnl/Wm Northern Fld
- Equipment
- None
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 8, 2023
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 356 total · 38 in this make and model · 304 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.44 inHg
- Observed at
- THA
- METAR
- KTHA 121735Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 06/M07 A3044 RMK A01
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.