On May 29, 2006, a Christen Industries A-1 (registration N9613Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Linden, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the engine run-up. Factor's in the accident were the pilot's diverted attention, and his failure to secure the airplane's left tire. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a high RPM engine run-up, a Christen Industries A-1 pilot became distracted by an open door and lost control, causing the airplane to turn right and impact a hangar.
Accident Details
The pilot of a Christen Industries A-1 reported that during pre-flight checks, the alternator light remained illuminated after start-up. He then shut down the engine, engaged the parking brake, and placed a chock on the airplane's right tire. No chock was available for the left tire. Subsequently, he conducted a high RPM engine run-up. During the run-up, the pilot became distracted by an open door that was slamming back and forth against the airframe due to propeller wash. As he attempted to close the door, the airplane turned toward the right and impacted a hangar.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported a total flight experience of 2,640 hours, which included 1,955 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.