Cessna 177 N29516

Summary

On 14 July 2019 at about 15:00 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N29516 was involved in an accident near Elkhart, Indiana, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 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

14 July 2019 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Elkhart, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Elkhart Muni (EKM)

Coordinates

41.7205, -85.9791

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N29516

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA223

2 people had minor injuries.

An inadvertent engine start of the airplane and subsequent takeoff without the pilot on-board for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot preflighted the airplane for a flight with two passengers. The passengers sat in the airplane with their seatbelts secured when the pilot lowered the propeller blade by manually “smacking it down” in a clockwise direction. The engine started, and the airplane began to move forward under its own power. The pilot attempted to board the airplane while it was rolling but was unable to. The airplane traveled across a ramp area, through a grassy area, over a taxiway, and up a slight grade where it became airborne momentarily before it came to rest in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane found the mixture and throttle in the full-forward position and the ignition key removed from the ignition. The key’s position before the accident could not be confirmed. When the pilot rotated the propeller an inadvertent engine start occurred. The reason for the inadvertent start could not be determined based on available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.