- Date
- July 11, 1994, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Churchville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N7080BWSK PZL Wilga 80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940711018299A
- Case key
- 38784
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
Improper starting procedure by the pilot.
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 was attempting to hand prop a 260 horse power radial engine. The engine was normally started with compressed air; however, the air reservoir was empty. The ignition system used a 'shower of sparks' system. Another pilot sat in a pilot seat to hold the brakes. The engine was primed and the magneto switch turned on. The pilot pulled the propeller blade and one cylinder fired. His head was within the arc of the rotating propeller blades and he was struck by a blade.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 1994, at 1200 eastern daylight time, the pilot was struck by the propeller while attempting to hand prop a WSK- PZL, Wilga 80, N7080B, at Harford County Airport, Churchville, Maryland. The pilot received serious injuries and the airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which was operating under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the FAA, the airplane engine was a 260 horse power radial. It was normally started with compressed air; however, the air reservoir was empty. The ignition system used a "shower of sparks" system for starting. The pilot had requested another pilot to sit in one of the pilot seats and hold the brakes. The engine was primed and the magneto switch turned on.
The accident occurred when the pilot started to pull the propeller blade through while his head was still within the arc of the rotating propeller blades. One cylinder fired, and the propeller blades rotated, and one blade struck the pilot in the head.
Due to injuries received by the pilot, he was unable to the complete the NTSB Form 6120.1/2. The form was filled out and submitted by the FAA.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7080B
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Wilga 80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CF21920934
- Engine
- AI-14RA, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jay N. Gathmann
- Registered owner
- Melex USA, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- 0W3 · Hanford County
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,090 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.