No fatalities

9 Nov 2009: CESSNA 150 L — Herbert M. Bartell — York, PA

York, PA, United States

On 9 Nov 2009, a CESSNA 150 L operated by Herbert M. Bartell was involved in an aviation accident near York, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadvertent encounter with a rotating propeller. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot sustained a serious left arm injury after running into a propeller while attempting to stop an unsecured airplane that began to taxi during jumper cable disconnection.

Incident Overview

A pilot was seriously injured after coming into contact with a rotating propeller while trying to stop an airplane that had started moving unexpectedly. The incident occurred during an attempt to connect a car battery to the airplane's battery using jumper cables.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot's account, he connected his car battery to the airplane's battery with jumper cables and started the airplane's engine. The pilot noted that the airplane's wheels were not chocked and the parking brake was not set. As he detached the jumper cables from the airplane's battery, the airplane "started to taxi."

In an effort to stop the airplane, the pilot held onto the wing strut and instructed a passenger inside the airplane to step on the toe brakes. During his second attempt to detach the jumper cables, the airplane moved forward again. The pilot stated, "I ran around again to stop the plane [and] I ran into the prop…"

Injuries and Damage

The pilot sustained a serious injury to his left arm as a result of the contact with the propeller.

Operational Context

The airplane was not secured with chocks or a parking brake at the time of the event. The pilot used jumper cables to provide starting power from a car battery. The specific make, model, or registration of the aircraft was not disclosed in the source.

Pilot Statement

The pilot's own account, as provided in the source, describes the chain of actions leading to the injury. No further detail regarding weather, time of day, or air traffic control involvement was included in the original report.

Contributing factors

Pilot