N3751U – PIPER PA-28R-201T – 2011-01-25 NTSB Accident Report

On January 25, 2011, a Piper PA-28R-201T (N3751U) was involved in an incident near Meadview, AZ. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane while manually starting the engine with the propeller, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with the ground.

The pilot reported that he had shutdown the engine on a remote dirt airport to inspect the tires before takeoff. When he attempted to restart the engine the battery was insufficiently charged, and would not start the engine. The pilot decided to attempt to start the engine by hand propping it. He set the throttle, the brake, and turned the magnetos to on. The pilot used a hand-prop method to attempt to start the engine. The engine ultimately started but before the pilot could enter the airplane, it accelerated and went on an excursion first hitting a berm and then continuing over a cliff. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA107. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3751U.