Incident Overview
The pilot of a single-engine airplane attempted to start the engine multiple times without success. After four or five failed attempts, he attributed the problem to a weak battery resulting from infrequent use. He then turned off the ignition and manually rotated the propeller by hand, intending to clear the engine. To his surprise, the engine started during this hand-propping procedure. The airplane immediately moved forward across the ramp and collided with a parked airplane and a hangar.
Postaccident Examination
Following the incident, an examination of the airplane revealed that the ignition key remained in the ignition switch. The ignition was set to the right magneto-only position. No anomalies or malfunctions were found in any aircraft systems. The engine started unexpectedly because the ignition was still active, despite the pilot's belief that it was off.
Contributing Circumstances
The pilot had reported that the battery was weak due to infrequent use, which led to the initial starting difficulties. His decision to hand-prop the propeller without verifying that the ignition was completely off resulted in the unintended engine start and subsequent ground collision.