Cessna 172B N7493X

Summary

On 21 November 2004 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 172B registered N7493X was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, 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

21 November 2004 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Zephyrhills, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.2281, -82.1558

Aircraft

Cessna 172B

Registration

N7493X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Zephyrhills → Lakeland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA05CA032

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to set the parking brake and his improper starting procedure which resulted in an unattended aircraft running away after hand starting the engine and the airplane colliding with parked airplanes, incurring substantial damage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that after refueling the airplane embarked and tried to start the airplane, and said that it would not start. He said he turned off the magneto switch, set the brakes, got out the airplane, and tried starting it by hand several times, but it would not start. After a brief distraction he said that when he again moved the propeller, all of a sudden the engine started operating immediately. He said the airplane moved forward and was heading toward the fuel tank, so he ran after it and grabbed the left strut to keep it from hitting the tank. He said the airplane proceeded between the fuel tank and the credit card machine, knocking him to the ground, and continued on, impacted two parked airplanes and two chain linked fences before stopping.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.