Cessna 172B N8988B

Summary

On 22 March 2014 at about 14:45 local time, a Cessna 172B registered N8988B was involved in an accident near Mt Olive, North Carolina, 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 March 2014 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Mt Olive, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Mount Olive Muni (W40)

Coordinates

35.2214, -78.0386

Aircraft

Cessna 172B

Registration

N8988B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mt Olive → Mt Olive

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14CA176

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately secure the airplane before hand-propping the engine for startup.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, when he attempted to start the airplane, "the battery was low." He exited the airplane, instructed the passenger to remain in the airplane and how to turn the magnetos on and off, and he utilized the tail tie down hook and secured the tail down with a rope on the ramp. The pilot hand-propped the engine, it started, the throttle was "too far in," and the airplane accelerated forward. The "old" tie down rope broke, the airplane continued forward, and the passenger in the airplane turned the magnetos to the "OFF" position. However, the airplane impacted a hangar and then came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and right wing during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane, other than the low battery, that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.