- Date
- September 29, 2007, 09:56 local (16:56 UTC)
- Place
- Turlock, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N38234Piper J5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070929021659A
- Case key
- 66794
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 and adequately tie down the airplane during the engine start operation.
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 turned off the fuel selector prior to starting the engine and he forgot to turn it back on during taxi for takeoff. The engine lost all power and stopped. The airplane was not equipped with a starter. When the pilot hand propped the engine for a restart the airplane was not securely tied down, and the throttle was not at idle. The engine started and revved up. The pilot attempted to restrain the airplane by holding on to it, and he was injured in that endeavor. The unoccupied airplane became airborne and climbed about 200 feet above the ground. Thereafter, it banked right and descended into a corn field next to the airport.
Factual narrative
On September 29, 2007, about 0956 Pacific daylight time, a Piper J5A, N38234, descended into a field near the Turlock Municipal Airport, Turlock, California. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot sustained minor injuries during the planned personal flight that was to have been performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he had turned off the fuel selector prior to starting the engine, and he forgot to turn it back on during taxi for takeoff. The engine lost all power and stopped. The airplane was not equipped with a starter. When the pilot hand propped the engine the airplane was not securely tied down, and the throttle was not at idle. The engine started and revved up. The pilot attempted to restrain the airplane by holding onto it, and he sustained injuries in that endeavor.
The airplane became airborne with no one inside, and it climbed about 200 feet above the ground. After a few seconds it banked right and descended into a corn field next to the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38234
- Reported as
- Piper J5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-917
- Engine
- Continental C90-8F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Art L. Delano
- Registered owner
- Art L. Delano
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- O15 · Turlock, CA
- Destination
- O27 · Oakdale, CA
- Airport
- O15 · Turlock Municipal
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,820 total · 240 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.