- Date
- February 6, 2011, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N2074LBeech 95-B55 (T42A)
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110206002629A
- Case key
- 78288
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 turn off the engine magnetos and properly secure the airplane prior to rotating the propeller by hand, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with a building.
Findings · 3
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
After completing an uneventful preflight inspection the pilot attempted to start the engines; however, neither would rotate. The pilot assumed that the battery was low, and that a low outside temperature had increased friction within the engine. He exited the airplane with the intention of rotating the propellers by hand, to increase lubrication within the engine. He pulled the left propeller through two rotations, and on the third rotation the engine inadvertently started. The airplane subsequently swiveled to the right and struck a building, causing substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the left engine revealed that with the magneto switch set to the off position, rotation of the propeller by hand did not result in sparks at each spark plug electrode. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had set the parking brakes and chocked the wheels, as well as confirmed that the magneto switches were off and that the throttle and mixture controls were set to the retarded and idle-cutoff positions.
Factual narrative
After completing an uneventful preflight inspection the pilot attempted to start the engines, however, neither would rotate. The pilot assumed that the battery was low, and that a low outside temperature had increased friction with the engine. He exited the airplane with the intention of rotating the propellers by hand, to increase lubrication within the engine. He pulled the left propeller through two rotations, and on the third, the engine inadvertently started. The airplane subsequently swiveled to the right and struck a building, causing substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the left engine by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, revealed that with the magneto switch set to the off position, rotation of the propeller by hand did not result in sparks at each spark plug electrode. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had set the parking brakes and chocked the wheels, as well as confirmed that the magneto switches were off, and that the throttle and mixture controls were set to retarded and idle-cutoff position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2074L
- Reported as
- Beech 95-B55 (T42A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1975
- Airframe hours
- 3,258
- Engines
- Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor IO-470 SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 2010 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- VNY · Van Nuys
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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 23, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 150 in this make and model · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 1, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.