No fatalities

Pilot Seat Slip During Engine Start Leads to Ground Accident

Bentonia, MS, United States

On June 12, 2011, a CESSNA 182K was involved in an aviation accident near Bentonia, MS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s loss of control on the ground during engine start, which resulted in a collision with nearby equipment. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper engine start procedure and improper securing of the seat. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that after starting the engine, her seat slid aft, preventing her from reaching the brakes. The airplane struck equipment, nosed over, and sustained substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that she flew to the airport as a passenger before taking control of the airplane. She performed a preflight inspection and then attempted to start the engine. After several unsuccessful attempts, she leaned the mixture setting and advanced the throttle before trying again. The engine started, and she subsequently advanced both the mixture and throttle controls. The engine then accelerated to a high rpm, causing the airplane to move forward and veer to the left.

Sequence of Events

The pilot stated that she tried to stop the airplane using the brakes, but the pilot seat slid aft, preventing her from reaching the brake pedals. As a result, the airplane continued moving and impacted equipment located near the parked aircraft. The impact caused the airplane to nose over and come to rest inverted.

Damage Assessment

The inverted position of the airplane resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, tail, and wings. No other details about injuries or other damage were reported.

Probable Cause

The source did not provide a probable cause for the accident.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained