N4653H – PIPER PA-17 – 2015-09-09 NTSB Accident Report

On September 09, 2015, a Piper PA-17 (N4653H) was involved in an incident near Delphi, IN. 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 attempt to start the engine by himself without properly securing the airplane.

According to the pilot's written statement, he had recently purchased the airplane. The airplane was not equipped with a starter nor did it have a parking brake. Up until this time, the pilot had used someone else to hand prop the engine while he sat at the controls. This was the pilot's first attempt to start the engine by himself. The airplane was not tied down nor chocked. The engine started on the second attempt. The pilot said he had either primed the engine too much or had the throttle set too high. When the engine started, it accelerated to high RPM and the airplane taxied across the tarmac and collided with an airport-owned hangar. There was an intention for flight.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN15CA410. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4653H.