Piper PA-17 N4653H

Summary

On 9 September 2015 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-17 registered N4653H, operated by Eric D. Stull, was involved in an accident near Delphi, Indiana, 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

9 September 2015 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Delphi, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Delphi Municipal (1I9)

Coordinates

40.5431, -86.6814

Aircraft

Piper PA-17

Registration

N4653H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1948

Engines

1

Operator

Eric D. Stull

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Delphi → Delphi

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15CA410

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's attempt to start the engine by himself without properly securing the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had recently purchased the airplane. It was not equipped with a starter nor did it have a parking brake. Up until this time, the pilot had used someone else to hand prop the engine while he sat at the controls. This was the pilot's first attempt to start the engine by himself. The airplane was not tied down nor chocked. The engine started and the airplane taxied across the tarmac and collided with an airport-owned hangar. There was an intention for flight. The pilot admitted his "lack of experience with this aircraft and [his] overly-high confidence level [was the cause of the] accident."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.