Aircraft: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: None. Location: Eden Prairie, Minn. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: When the pilot attempted to start the engine, the starter motor turned, but the starter did not engage. He turned off the battery master switch, exited the airplane, and walked around to the front of the airplane. He reached through the door and thought the ignition key was off.
He pushed the propeller down through one compression stroke. The engine immediately started.
The pilot jumped on the left wing, but fell off, and the airplane continued without him.
The airplane traveled across the ramp and into a ditch between runways 28R and 28L. The impact broke off the nose gear and buckled the firewall.
During the post-accident examination the ignition switch functioned normally.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to ensure the airplane was secured prior to attempting an engine start by handpropping.
NTSB Identification: CEN13CA093
This December 2012 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.
I don’t know what kind of plane Tom is speaking about, but the key in my plane cannot be removed in either magneto on position?
I didn’t read here that the battery was dead only that the starter failed to engage. The starter apparently would operate. No big deal unless you are by yourself, (no help) maybe consider tying the plane down again before attempted hand prop. That is a procedural exercise by itself, with it’s own pre-start procedure.
I caught a fledgling pilot’s Luscombe, that was hand propped with to much throttle, once. He scared himself more before than after I chewed his butt for not having it re-tied and secured before the attempted hand propping. All while his girl friend/family watched on.
If you read the test you see thaqt he was turning the prop through a rotation, not actually truing to hand prop the aircraft. Probably thought if he moved the engine internals to a new location the gear on the starter could engage on the next try rather then just spin (probably not). It was not his intention to start since he had the master off, thought he had the ignition off and apparently made no attempt to secure the aircraft. Just goes to show that a propeller should always be treated like a loaded gun. The fact that he did not get chopped by the prop shows he was exercising at least some caution that day.
Reacting to an abnormal condition can cause a pilot to not follow his normal procedures.
Whenever I exit the aircraft in order to attend to something, I put the keys on the glare shield. Then everyone knows the mags are off.
Meg, BTW, the NTSB has a new url for the database –
http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/index.aspx
The problem with your recommendation is that the key can be removed from the ignition when the mags are not in the off position. Don’t trust anybody but yourself on this important matter even your own mechanic.
Oh stop guys….he made a mistake which I’m sure most all of us pilots have done one time or other. The good of this is he’s still alive not harmed other than his ego. I am sure this will never happen again and he’s learned an important lesson.
Too stupid? We’re all too stupid. We have checklists and procedures to manage our stupidity. The moment a pilot considers himself immune he should ground himself immediately.
Too stupid to fly.
Can’t say I agree with your statement, but do think this pilot needs to seriously work on judgemnt. A Cirrus with a dead battery is not airworthy… Remember that thing about “meets the Type Design AND safe to fly”? The aircraft has a power hungry avionics suite which includes both engine AND navigation instruments. I’m glad the pilot wasn’t hurt and that only one aircraft was wrecked in this mishap. Here’s hope that he or she experienced a teachable moment.
Er John. Where did it say anything about a dead battery? I read that the starter gear failed to engage the engine’s starter ring gear when the key was presumably rotated to the start position thus preventing battery power from cranking the engine. Was that due to a weak battery or a failed starter? Turning off the battery master switch does nothing to prevent a magneto from firing into the ignition circuit if it is connected hot with the ignition key left in a mag hot position which apparently was the case. The battery master switch can be turned off in flight and the engine will continue to run just fine for an airplane equipped with magnetos as the engine’s source of ignition. Not so for electronic ignition systems, EFI or FADEC.
A friend tried to prop his Cessna 195 in the early 60s at Dallas Love Field, Southwest Airmotive. It got away from him and ran into a new Grumman Gulf Stream going thru pre delivery servicing on the ramp. Mega damage to both A/C.