Cessna 182T N53310

Summary

On 3 May 2015 at about 16:15 local time, a Cessna 182T registered N53310 was involved in an accident near St Marys, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were 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

3 May 2015 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

St Marys, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

St Marys Muni (OYM)

Coordinates

41.4114, -78.5072

Aircraft

Cessna 182T

Registration

N53310

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St Marys → Penn Yan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA15CA057

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's decision to rotate the propeller by hand without properly securing the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, following preflight inspection he attempted to start the engine with the electrical starter but was unable to get the engine to turn over. He turned the magnetos to the off position and then got out of the airplane to "turn the prop through," but was not attempting to hand prop the engine. When the pilot rotated the propeller by hand, the engine started and the airplane immediately began moving forward. He attempted to enter the airplane but was unable to stop the airplane before it impacted an airport building. A passenger was sitting in the front right seat of the airplane and was able to evacuate the airplane after it collided with a building. The pilot stated that he should have chocked the wheels, but he was not planning on starting the engine. According to the airport manager who responded within minutes after the accident, he observed the ignition key selected to the left magneto, and then turned the key off during the post-accident emergency response. The airport manager also reported that the throttle was in the full forward position and the mixture was in the full rich position.   During a post-accident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector found no anomalies with the ignition wiring system or magneto P-leads. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.