This December 2008 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Serious. Location: Palenstine, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The private pilot and a 6-year-old passenger boarded the airplane for a local flight. After a failed attempt to start the engine, the pilot told investigators that he recalled securing the master switch and the magnetos prior to exiting the cockpit to rotate the propeller by hand.
As he turned the propeller to limber the oil, the airplane’s engine inadvertently started. As the airplane moved forward, it hit the pilot causing serious injuries. The airplane, with the passenger still on-board, went across the airport before hitting trees. The passenger was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. A firefighter who responded to the accident reported turning off the magneto and fuel switches.
Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to ensure security of the cockpit switches before rotating the propeller.
For more information: NTSB.gov
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Sometimes the grounding wire may not be that well grounded! Just because the switch is turned off doesn’t guarantee the engine won’t kick over.
There is just no way that such an accident can even remotely be justified….. particularly when a child is involved! This guys ticket needs to be REVOKED “indefinitely”…………..
Taking the key is not enough. Chock and secure the aircraft. Mag switches do fail and mag wires get broken making the mags hot even if the key is off and removed.
Always consider a prop to be hot and handle with respect and expect that the engine could start at any time. Position yourself to never be caught by surprise by a prop that you thought was off.
People are surprisingly casual about hand-swinging props. It scares me witless. The mag switch on a C150 is controlled by a key switch. I think if I was going to leave a 6-year-old alone in the cockpit, I would want the key in my back pocket.
And another thing – the parking brake on a C150 isn’t that reliable or powerful – make sure you chock the wheels before hand-swinging!