Piper PA-28R-201T N3751U

Summary

On 25 January 2011 at about 19:45 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N3751U was involved in an accident near Meadview, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 January 2011 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Meadview, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Pearce Ferry Airport (L25)

Coordinates

36.0931, -114.0467

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N3751U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boulder City → Boulder City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA107

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane while manually starting the engine with the propeller, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had shutdown the engine on a remote dirt airport to inspect the tires before takeoff. When he attempted to restart the engine the battery was insufficiently charged and would not start the engine. The pilot decided to attempt to start the engine by hand propping it. He set the throttle, brake, and turned the magnetos to on. The pilot used a hand-prop method to attempt to start the engine. The engine ultimately started but accelerated before the pilot could enter the airplane, first hitting a berm and then continuing over a cliff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.