- Date
- September 6, 2002, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stow, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7223RGoff Glassair
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020906022569A
- Case key
- 55655
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 improper positioning of the throttle during engine start, which resulted in his inability to maintain control of the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he set the vernier-type throttle to "a little more than 1/4-inch open," and started the airplane. He attempted to reduce power by twisting the throttle counter-clockwise, but was unable to retard the throttle to the idle position. The brakes could no longer hold the airplane, which moved forward, turned to the left, went through a fence and came to rest as it impacted a parked car. The pilot stated that he forgot about the center lock button on the throttle and did not notice that it was engaged during the engine start sequence.
Factual narrative
On September 6, 2002, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Glassair, N7223R, was substantially damaged during an engine start at Minuteman Airfield (6B6), Stow, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that was to be conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he set the vernier-type throttle to "a little more than 1/4-inch open," and started the airplane. He then attempted to reduce the power by twisting the throttle counter-clockwise. However, he was unable to retard the throttle to the idle position. The brakes could no longer hold the airplane, and it began to move forward and turn to the left. As the pilot again tried to reduce the power, the airplane went through a fence and came to rest as it impacted a parked car.
The pilot also stated that he forgot about the center lock button on the throttle and did not notice that it was engaged during the engine start sequence. He stated the accident was due to "pilot error."
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the throttle was closed, and the mixture control was in the idle-cutoff position. A functional test of the throttle was performed and no anomalies were noted. Additionally, no brake or skid marks were observed on the pavement or the grass.
The pilot reported that he had accumulated 1,500 hours of total flight experience, 10 of which were in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7223R
- Reported as
- Goff Glassair
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2052
- Airframe hours
- 100
- Engine
- Lycoming I0360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry Goff
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2002
- Departed
- 6B6 · Stow, MA
- Destination
- 6B6
- Airport
- 6B6 · Minuteman airfield, runway 03, 2,770 × 48 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 5 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- BED, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.