Cessna 172M N12187

Summary

On 4 July 1998 at about 05:12 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N12187 was involved in an accident near Somerset, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 July 1998 at 05:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Somerset, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Somerset-Pulaski County (SME)

Coordinates

37.0810, -84.6002

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N12187

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

IAD98LA076

1 person was seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to follow procedures to hand-prop the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a preflight inspection, at 0100 local time, in preparation for a pleasure flight with two friends. The pilot reported that he discovered the battery was dead, and not wanting to disappoint his friends, decided to hand-prop the airplane for engine start. After 2-3 minutes, the engine caught and the airplane lurched forward. The pilot stated that the left wing and the empennage tie down ropes fell off, and the airplane began to pivot around the right wing tie down rope. He reported that he gave chase to the airplane, but was hit by either the left wing strut or horizontal stab as the empennage swung around. The runaway airplane then collided with an airplane parked in an adjacent parking spot. The pilot stated that he never hand-propped an airplane before, nor had he received instruction on how to hand-prop an airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.