Piper PA-28R-200 N746R

Summary

On 30 January 2012 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N746R, operated by Woodard Gordon, was involved in an accident near San Diego, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 January 2012 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

San Diego, California, United States

Nearest airport

Gillespie Field Airport (SEE)

Coordinates

32.8261, -116.9722

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N746R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Woodard Gordon

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego → San Diego

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA085

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to turn the magneto switch to the off position before moving the propeller to start the engine by hand.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The passenger reported that he and the pilot were both seated in the airplane when the pilot made three unsuccessful attempts to start the engine. The pilot told the passenger to “get out, I need to jump it.” The passenger got out of the airplane and was walking away when he heard a noise. When he looked back toward the front of the airplane, he saw the pilot lying on the ground below the propeller. The airplane’s engine was not running. Postaccident examination revealed that the magneto switch was in the both position. It is likely that the pilot moved the propeller, and because the magnetos were in a ready-to-start condition, this resulted in a spark plug firing, which caused the propeller to turn rapidly and strike the pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.