Incident Description
The pilot and passenger exited the airplane, leaving it unsecured. The pilot then moved the propeller by hand to clear the starter's "dead spot." The engine started, and the unoccupied airplane began to taxi across the airport. It traveled across the airport until it contacted a chain-link fence and a ditch, causing the airplane to nose over.
Pilot Statements
The pilot reported that prior to exiting the airplane, the throttle was set at 1,000 rpm, the mixture was set to rich, the battery and generator switches were on, and he turned the magnetos off.
Postaccident Inspection
A postaccident inspection of the airplane's ignition system revealed no failures or malfunctions.