No fatalities

8 May 2012: BEECH A36 — Carl Marquess — Paducah, KY

Paducah, KY, United States

On 8 May 2012, a BEECH A36 operated by Carl Marquess was involved in an aviation accident near Paducah, KY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to properly secure the airplane before turning the propeller by hand. 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 reported that after a month of starter malfunction, an engine started unexpectedly while he was turning the propeller, causing the airplane to travel across the ramp and hit a parked aircraft.

Incident Overview

A pilot recounted an incident in which an airplane’s engine started without warning while he was manually rotating the propeller. According to the pilot, the aircraft’s starter had been malfunctioning for approximately one month prior to the event.

Sequence of Events

On the day of the occurrence, the pilot first attempted to start the engine from inside the cockpit but was unsuccessful. He then exited the airplane and turned the propeller "slowly," though he stated he did not intend to hand-prop the engine. While he was turning the propeller, the engine started unexpectedly.

Aftermath

Once the engine started, the airplane moved across the ramp and struck a parked aircraft, resulting in substantial damage to the moving airplane. No other details regarding injuries or additional damage were provided by the pilot or the source.

Investigation Notes

The pilot’s account is the only information available. The source does not specify the aircraft type, registration, location, date, time, weather conditions, or any involvement of air traffic control. No probable cause has been stated.

Contributing factors

Pilot