- Date
- November 8, 2008, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mountain Home, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N81705WSK PZL Mielec M-18A
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081108850769A
- Case key
- 69475
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 inadequate preflight inspection, and, his failure to properly secure the aircraft as he left the cockpit with the engine operating, which resulted in the unoccupied airplane inadvertently becoming airborne and colliding with a fence and terrain.
Findings · 2
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 reported he was taxing the airplane to the active runway when he realized the airplane's tail wheel lock was engaged. With the engine still running, the pilot set the parking brake, installed the control lock and exited the airplane with the intention of manually unlocking the tail wheel. When the pilot exited the cockpit he inadvertently knocked/pushed the throttle forward, to a high power setting, and the airplane started to roll across the taxiway. The unoccupied airplane accelerated, momentarily became airborne, and collided with an airport perimeter fence and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and both wings. No pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot reported he was taxing the airplane to the active runway when he realized the airplane's tail wheel lock was engaged. With the engine still running, the pilot set the parking brake, installed the control lock and exited the airplane with the intention of manually unlocking the tail wheel. When the pilot exited the cockpit he inadvertently knocked/pushed the throttle forward, to a high power setting, and the airplane started to roll across the taxiway. The unoccupied airplane accelerated, momentarily became airborne, and collided with an airport perimeter fence and terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and both wings. No pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81705
- Reported as
- WSK PZL Mielec M-18A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1Z020-17
- Airframe hours
- 3,733
- Engine
- Pezetel ASZ-621R-M18, 967 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- A-1 Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- A-1 Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 2008
- Departed
- U76 · Mountain Home, ID
- Destination
- U76 · Mountain Home, ID
- Airport
- U76 · Mountain Home Municipal Airpor, runway 10, 5,000 × 75 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 18,400 total · 5,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N81705 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.