- Date
- March 12, 2015, 16:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Palmetto, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N170TWCessna 170A
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Ground collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150312002839A
- Case key
- 90877
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 use the proper hand propping procedures, resulting in a runaway airplane.
Findings · 4
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 and passenger were on a cross-country flight when the pilot noticed that the battery was no longer charging. After landing, the pilot decided to save battery power for the return flight by hand propping the airplane. He briefed the passenger for the hand start procedure, but did not realize the throttle was in the full throttle position. Upon starting, the engine went to full power. The pilot was unable to reenter the airplane before it made two tight left circles on the ramp and collided with an open hangar and the airplane inside. Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge FAA-8037-3a contains a section titled, "Hand Propping", which indicates to never allow a person unfamiliar with the controls to occupy the pilot's seat when hand propping. The section also indicates that an additional precaution includes placement of chalks in front of the main tires or if not feasible, the airplane's tail may be securely tied.
Factual narrative
The pilot and passenger were on a cross-country flight when the pilot noticed that the battery was no longer charging. After landing, the pilot decided to save battery power for the return flight by hand propping the airplane. He briefed the passenger for the hand start procedure, but did not realize the throttle was in the full throttle position. Upon starting, the engine went to full power. The pilot was unable to reenter the airplane before it made two tight left circles on the ramp and collided with an open hangar and the airplane inside. Federal Aviation Administration Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge FAA-8037-3a contains a section titled, "Hand Propping", which indicates to never allow a person unfamiliar with the controls to occupy the pilot's seat when hand propping. The section also indicates that an additional precaution includes placement of chalks in front of the main tires or if not feasible, the airplane's tail may be securely tied.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N170TW
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20197
- Built
- 1951
- Airframe hours
- 4,172
- Engine
- Cont Motor C145 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 2013
- Departed
- SRQ · Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
- Destination
- SRQ · Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
- Airport
- 48X · Airport Manatee, runway 07, 3,120 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2007
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 825 total · 610 in this make and model · 825 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KSRQ, 15 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2015, 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.