Cessna 172N N5415J

Summary

On 25 July 1995 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N5415J, operated by Seth O. Medlin, was involved in an accident near Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 1995 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

First Flight (FFA)

Coordinates

36.0703, -75.7095

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N5415J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Seth O. Medlin

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Manteo

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL95LA143

Injuries not recorded.

The attempt by the pilots to perform the unfamiliar procedure of starting the airplane's engine by hand.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD RENTED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT TO KITTY HAWK. AFTER LANDING, THE MASTER SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN THE 'ON' POSITION, WHILE THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS WERE SIGHTSEEING. WHEN THEY RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE, THE BATTERY WAS TOO WEAK TO START THE ENGINE. A LOCAL AIR TOUR PILOT AGREED TO ASSIST WITH HAND STARTING THE ENGINE, SINCE THERE WERE NO SERVICES AT THE AIRSTRIP. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO PLACE THE MASTER SWITCH IN THE 'ON' POSITION. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE ASSISTING PILOT CAME TO THE COCKPIT DOOR TO VERIFY THAT THE MASTER SWITCH WAS IN THE 'ON' POSITION. THE PILOT ASKED WHERE THE IGNITION SWITCH SHOULD BE, AND WAS TOLD IT SHOULD BE IN THE 'START' POSITION. WHEN THE PROPELLER WAS NEXT MOVED, THE ENGINE STARTED, AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE ASSISTING PILOT, BREAKING HIS HAND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.