Hand-Propping Incident Leads to Ground Collision with Parked Aircraft (N82773)

Accident Details

A pilot removed an airplane from a hangar and had his wife sit in the front seat. He then set the controls for an engine start, but he overlooked the throttle, which was in the full open position from the previous shutdown. The pilot had not briefed his wife on the use of the throttle or brakes. He then hand-propped the engine. The engine started and immediately went to full power. The airplane then traveled across the ramp and collided with a parked airplane.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, after removing the airplane from the hangar, he positioned his wife in the front seat. He proceeded to configure the controls for starting the engine. However, he did not notice that the throttle was fully open, a condition left from the prior shutdown. The pilot had not provided his wife with instructions on how to operate the throttle or brakes. He then manually rotated the propeller to start the engine. When the engine ignited, it immediately ran at full power. The airplane then moved forward across the ramp unhindered and struck a stationary aircraft.