What happened
At approximately 0215, a pilot and his wife prepared for a local flight. The pilot performed a hand-prop of the aircraft, and as the engine started, he moved to enter the cabin. During this process, the aircraft began to move. The pilot's wife, in an attempt to manage the movement, pulled the parking brake lock; however, this action resulted in the release of the parking brake.
Frightened by the sudden movement, the passenger jumped clear of the aircraft. The plane continued to taxi into the darkness, moving out of sight. The aircraft traveled across a grass parking area and through a fence, eventually reaching a roadway embankment. Upon hitting the embankment, the aircraft became airborne for a short duration before striking the terrain and nosing over. The aircraft came to its final position with the tail leaning against a tree on an adjacent farm, approximately 3/4 mile from its starting point. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection conducted by an FAA inspector confirmed the flight path of the aircraft. The inspection provided evidence that the aircraft traversed the grass parking area and the fence before the nose-over occurred on the roadway embankment.