Incident Overview
A pilot attempting to start an airplane's engine by hand caused the aircraft to roll forward and collide with a parked airplane. The engine starter was inoperative, prompting the pilot to hand-start the engine by manually moving the propeller. The pilot's wife, who was not a pilot, was seated inside the airplane and instructed to hold the toe-brakes with her feet. However, the parking brake was not engaged.
Sequence of Events
When the engine started, the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot's wife, unable to stop the movement, became concerned that the rotating propeller might strike her husband. She then turned the airplane away from him. The aircraft traveled off the paved surface, crossed a ditch, and moved through a soybean field before colliding with a parked airplane.
Damage and Aftermath
The left wing of the pilot's airplane sustained substantial damage in the collision. The parked airplane was also damaged. The pilot later stated that the only mechanical issue with the airplane before the accident was the inoperative starter. He acknowledged that hand-starting the engine was a poor decision and that the aircraft should have been secured until a mechanic could inspect it.