Summary
On July 25, 1995, a Cessna 172N (N5415J) was involved in an accident near Kill Devil Hill, NC. All 3 people aboard were uninjured.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The attempt by the pilots to perform the unfamiliar procedure of starting the airplane's engine by hand.
On July 25, 1995, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a bystander, who was a pilot, and who was assisting in starting the airplane, was struck by the propeller of a Cessna 172N, N2415J. The flight was originating at First Flight Airport, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The bystander was seriously injured. There were no injuries to the private pilot, nor his two passengers, and the airplane was not damaged. The airplane was operated by Carolina Air Services, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight.
The pilot had rented the airplane and flown from New Bern, North Carolina, to Kitty Hawk. While sightseeing, the master switch was inadvertently left in the "on" position.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ATL95LA143. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5415J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The attempt by the pilots to perform the unfamiliar procedure of starting the airplane's engine by hand.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 25, 1995, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a bystander, who was a pilot, and who was assisting in starting the airplane, was struck by the propeller of a Cessna 172N, N2415J. The flight was originating at First Flight Airport, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The bystander was seriously injured. There were no injuries to the private pilot, nor his two passengers, and the airplane was not damaged. The airplane was operated by Carolina Air Services, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight.
The pilot had rented the airplane and flown from New Bern, North Carolina, to Kitty Hawk. While sightseeing, the master switch was inadvertently left in the "on" position. When the pilot returned, the battery had insufficient output voltage to start the airplane. A local pilot agreed to help start the airplane by hand. According to the pilot of the accident flight, the bystander told him to place the master switch in the "on" or "off" position, when instructed, and call out its position in reply. The initial attempts to start the airplane were unsuccessful. The assisting pilot stepped to the cockpit door to verify that the master switch was in the "on" position. The accident pilot asked where the ignition switch should be, and was told to place the ignition switch in the "start" position, as normal. When released, the switch was in the "both" position. As the bystander moved the propeller again, the engine fired. His hand was struck and broken by the propeller.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL95LA143