N1454S

On May 1, 1994, at 1430 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182P, N1454S, collided with a hangar at the Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona. The aircraft ran away from the pilot after the engine inadvertently started while the pilot was pulling the propeller through several compression cycles. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The airplane incurred substantial wing damage. The certificated private pilot incurred minor injuries; however, the two passengers on board the aircraft were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident as a personal cross-country flight to Tucson, Arizona.

In a verbal statement, the pilot reported that he had completed the preflight inspection of the aircraft and loaded his passengers on board. The aircraft had been idle for about a month. On the first start attempt, the engine turned over very slowly and the pilot discontinued the start cycle. The pilot got out of the aircraft to pull the propeller through several revolutions and, as he did so, the engine suddenly started and went to a high power setting. The pilot said he tried to get back into the cockpit, but he had trouble with the door latch. The pilot next attempted to restrain the aircraft by holding the tail, but he was knocked to the ground in the effort. The aircraft ran into a hangar, bending a wing spar.

During his statement, the pilot said that on reflection he believes that he forgot to turn off the magnetos completely before trying to turn the propeller through the revolutions.