Accident Details
On December 22, 2009, at approximately 1215 Pacific standard time, a Beech A23-24 (registration N973WP) collided with parked airplanes after inadvertently starting on the ramp at Grove Field Airport, Camas, Washington. The pilot, who owned the aircraft, was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for a planned personal local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he and a passenger boarded the airplane for a local flight. Due to low overnight temperatures, the starter could not rotate the propeller through the entire compression cycle. As part of his normal cold-weather procedure, the pilot exited the airplane and manually rotated the propeller counterclockwise to circulate oil. While doing so, the engine inadvertently started. The airplane, with the passenger still aboard, lurched forward and traversed across the ramp, colliding with a parked airplane. The accident airplane's left wing was damaged. The pilot noted that the master switch was off and the ignition switch had not been engaged.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination by an FAA inspector and a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic revealed a broken p-lead on the left magneto. The magneto (part number BL349365-03, serial number H139905 FR) was originally installed at manufacture and had accumulated about 3,300 hours of service. The airplane was equipped with a Textron Lycoming IO-360-A2B engine, which rotates the propeller counterclockwise from the front. The most recent annual inspection had been completed on April 22, 2009, approximately 41 flight hours before the accident.
Pilot Recommendation
In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Report (Form 6120.1), the pilot stated that if he performs this procedure again, he will place the mixture and throttle in the idle position, chock the wheels, and turn the propeller in a clockwise direction.