- Date
- December 7, 1994, 18:11 local (Dec 8, 1994, 02:11 UTC)
- Place
- Oxnard, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N2027PPiper PA-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941207041199A
- Case key
- 28988
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 ensure the aircraft was secured prior to attempting an engine start by handpropping.
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 noted that during the flight to Oxnard he did a long cruise descent with the engines at a very low power output. He said he was unaware that the aircraft had generators instead of alternators, and that the engine speed he was using for the descent was below the speed required to keep the battery charged. The aircraft landed and the pilot deplaned his passenger after shutting down both engines. He then tried to start the engines and discovered that the battery charge was too low to start the engines. He set the brakes, then started the right engine by handpropping. He then returned to the cockpit and attempted to use the right engine generator to help start the left engine; however, the engine would not crank over enough to achieve a start. The pilot then retarded the right engine throttle to idle, made sure the brakes were set, and exited the aircraft to handprop the left engine. The engine started and went to a high power setting. Before the pilot could get back in the aircraft, it left the parking space and began turning in circles. After the third circle, the left wing hit a fence and a tree.
Factual narrative
On December 7, 1994, at 1811 Pacific standard time, an unattended Piper PA-23, N2027P, collided with an airport fence and a tree after getting away from the pilot during a handprop start attempt at the Oxnard, California, airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The flight was originating as the return portion of a flight from San Jose, to Oxnard, California.
In his written and oral statements, the pilot noted that during the flight to Oxnard he performed a long cruise descent with the engines at a very low power output. The pilot reported that he was unaware that the aircraft was equipped with generators as opposed to alternators, and that the engine speed he was using for the descent was below the speed required to keep the battery charged. The aircraft landed at Oxnard and the pilot deplaned his passenger after shutting down both engines. The pilot then attempted to start the engines and discovered that the battery charge was too low to crank the engines.
The pilot said that he set the brakes then started the right engine by handpropping. He then returned to the cockpit and attempted to use the right engine generator to help start the left engine. During the start attempt, the engine would not crank over enough to achieve a start. The pilot then retarded the right engine throttle to idle, made sure the brakes were set, then exited the aircraft to handprop the left engine. The engine started and went to a high power setting. Before the pilot could get back in the aircraft, it left the parking space and began turning in circles. After the third circle, the left wing hit a fence and a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2027P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-601
- Airframe hours
- 6,092
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John H. Morgan
- Registered owner
- Davids Aviation, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1994 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- OXR
- Destination
- SJC · San Jose, CA
- Airport
- OXR · Oxnard
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,152 total · 103 in this make and model · 1,092 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.