What happened
While taxiing toward a taxiway, the pilot applied heavy throttle to move the aircraft up an incline from its parked position. As the airplane reached the crest of the incline, the nosewheel bounced, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. The plane continued moving forward and struck five stationary airplanes before finally coming to a stop. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The investigation
Following the accident, investigators examined the throttle, brakes, magneto switch, and mixture, finding all components to be operating normally. The aircraft was equipped with a vernier-type throttle and hand-operated brakes. It was noted that prior to operating this specific aircraft, the pilot had experience only with aircraft featuring friction lock throttles and toe brakes. At the time of the accident, the pilot had a total of 16 hours of flight time in the aircraft, approximately 6 of which were solo.