Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A) N2074L

Summary

On 6 February 2011 at about 18:00 local time, a Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A) registered N2074L was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 February 2011 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Van Nuys, California, United States

Nearest airport

Van Nuys (VNY)

Coordinates

34.2097, -118.4897

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-B55 (T42A)

Registration

N2074L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA123

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to turn off the engine magnetos and properly secure the airplane prior to rotating the propeller by hand, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with a building.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After completing an uneventful preflight inspection the pilot attempted to start the engines; however, neither would rotate. The pilot assumed that the battery was low, and that a low outside temperature had increased friction within the engine. He exited the airplane with the intention of rotating the propellers by hand, to increase lubrication within the engine. He pulled the left propeller through two rotations, and on the third rotation the engine inadvertently started. The airplane subsequently swiveled to the right and struck a building, causing substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the left engine revealed that with the magneto switch set to the off position, rotation of the propeller by hand did not result in sparks at each spark plug electrode. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had set the parking brakes and chocked the wheels, as well as confirmed that the magneto switches were off and that the throttle and mixture controls were set to the retarded and idle-cutoff positions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.