N5219U – CESSNA 172RG – 2013-05-16 NTSB Accident Report

On May 16, 2013, a Cessna 172RG (N5219U) was involved in an incident near Abbeville, LA. 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 before hand starting the engine and the failure of the brass tie down hook.

The airplane's engine battery was dead so the pilot elected to hand-prop the engine. He tied the tail of the airplane down via a brass snap-hook that attached to a metal fastener underneath the airplane's tail section. The snap-hook was attached to a rope that was secured to the ground. The pilot set the parking brake and checked the throttle position; however, he did not secure the wheels with chocks. The engine started on the third attempt and RPM increased as the pilot walked back toward the cockpit. Before he got there, the brass snap-hook broke and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot was unable to access the cockpit and the airplane traveled unattended until it collided with a parked airplane resulting in substantial damage to the right wing.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN13CA282. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5219U.