Incident Overview
A pilot agreed to provide a demonstration flight to an acquaintance who had expressed interest in learning to fly the pilot’s newly purchased airplane. The acquaintance had no prior flight experience.
On the morning of the planned flight, the pilot discovered that the airplane battery was dead and decided to hand-prop the engine to start it. He instructed the passenger, who was seated in the left seat, on how to operate the brakes and throttle. The pilot successfully hand-propped the engine, but the airplane began to move forward. The pilot was unable to board the airplane, and the passenger was unable to control or stop it, or shut down the engine.
Sequence of Events
The airplane departed its parking spot, crossed a runway, and struck a ground-mounted solar panel array located about 200 feet away. An eyewitness reported that the engine rpm increased and the airplane accelerated as it traversed the airport.
Damage
The airplane sustained damage to the propeller, engine mount, firewall, windscreen, wings, and nose landing gear. Four solar panels were also damaged.
Passenger Account
The passenger stated that due to inexperience, he was unable to properly operate the brakes, but he could not recall whether he attempted to manipulate the throttle during the event.