Piper J3C-65 N10674

Summary

On 22 April 2011 at about 22:45 local time, a Piper J3C-65 registered N10674, operated by Westfield Flight Academy, was involved in an accident near Westfield, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were 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

22 April 2011 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Westfield, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Barnes Municipal Airport (BAF)

Coordinates

42.1578, -72.7158

Aircraft

Piper J3C-65

Registration

N10674

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Westfield Flight Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Westfield → Westfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA261

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's sole reliance on the passenger for securing the airplane during the engine start and the passenger's inability to maintain braking after the engine started.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was hand-propping the airplane, as it was not equipped with an electric starter. A passenger, who had flown with him twice since the previous fall, was sitting in the front seat. The pilot instructed the passenger to hold the heel brakes with her toes, and initially verified her ability to do so by pushing on the propeller hub. He then returned to the cockpit area and explained the application of full-aft elevator stick to prevent propeller airflow from raising the tail, and the use of the throttle, which he opened 1/8 to 1/4 inch for the start. The pilot also explained the use of the magnetos, had the passenger turn the magneto switch through the "Both" and "Off" positions twice, and advised her that if anything went wrong, to switch the magnetos off. After priming the engine, the pilot confirmed that the brakes were set by attempting to push the airplane from the propeller hub, then confirmed elevator movement when the control stick was fully aft. The pilot threw the propeller and on the third attempt the engine caught. As the pilot walked around the wing tip to get into the airplane, the airplane began rolling. He called out for the passenger to turn off the magnetos; however, the airplane rolled into a parked airplane. The pilot did not note any mechanical anomalies with the airplane, nor did he indicate the use of any other airplane securing devices such as chocks or a tail tie-down.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.