Stephen J Hoffman MS-500 N778MS

Summary

On 29 October 2022 at about 16:40 local time, a Stephen J Hoffman MS-500 registered N778MS was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. One person was 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

29 October 2022 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Ellington (EFD)

Coordinates

29.6056, -95.1665

Aircraft

Stephen J Hoffman MS-500

Registration

N778MS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Air Race/Show

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA023

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to secure the magneto switch before attempting to hand rotate the engine which resulted in an inadvertent engine start, a runaway airplane, and subsequent impact with parked airplanes. Contributing to the accident was the failure to properly secure the airplane with chocks.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was preparing for a display flight in a local airshow which included a preflight procedure to rotate the engine prior to start for lubrication purposes. During the procedure, the electric starter motor struggled to rotate the engine due to viscous oil because of cooler overnight temperatures, and the main circuit breaker had tripped. The pilot turned off all cockpit switches, but forgot to turn off the magneto switch, and exited the airplane. The pilot then utilized a hand crank to rotate the engine, and the engine unexpectedly started. The wheel chocks had been previously removed in preparation for the planned flight, and the airplane began to move. Several ground personnel attempted to stop the airplane but were unsuccessful before the airplane impacted two parked airplanes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the elevator. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.