On November 10, 1991, a Piper PA-38-112 (registration N9296T) operated by Baron, James H. was involved in an aviation accident near Faribault, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER STARTING PROCEDURES AND THE PASSENGER'S INATTENTIVENESS. A RELATED FACTOR IS THE PILOT'S LACK OF SUPERVISION. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot and friend dug an airplane out of a snow drift and attempted to jump-start it using a car battery. After the engine started, the passenger was struck in the left arm by the propeller while removing the cables.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported that he and a friend were preparing his airplane for a local flight. The airplane had been dug out of a snow drift, and its battery was too weak to start the engine. The pilot decided to jump-start the airplane using his car battery.
Sequence of Events
The pilot entered the cockpit to start the engine, while the intended passenger remained seated in the automobile. Once the airplane engine was started, the passenger emerged from the car. As he attempted to remove the battery cables, he was struck in the left arm by the propeller.
Aftermath
The incident resulted in the passenger sustaining an injury to his left arm from the propeller strike.