Accident Overview
On August 5, 2014, at 1015 central daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D (N44335) collided with a parked Piper Comanche (N7672Y) at Burnet Municipal Airport-Kate Craddock Field (BMQ), Burnet, Texas. The accident occurred during engine start, which was performed by hand-propping by a flight instructor while a student pilot was seated at the cockpit controls. Upon engine start, the Taylorcraft veered into the parked Piper Comanche. Both airplanes received substantial damage. The flight instructor and student pilot were uninjured.
The airplane was registered to and operated by the flight instructor under 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 as an instructional flight not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Reporting and Statements
On August 5, 2014, the registered owner of N7672Y reported to the Federal Aviation Administration that his airplane had been struck by N44335. The accident had not been reported by the flight instructor. The required NTSB Form 6120.1 was not received following the accident. On August 26, 2014, the flight instructor sent an email to the NTSB stating that there was at least one to two minutes between engine start and the taxi incident, and that he had time to strap in, un-chock the aircraft, climb in, check controls, perform a radio check, and briefly discuss the taxi with the student before moving. On September 3, 2014, the NTSB instructed the flight instructor to complete and return the form within 10 days, but the form was not received.
The student pilot stated that he learned of the flight instructor through an internet advertisement and that the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings on a grass runway at Llano, Texas. The student pilot had accumulated 5.7 total flight hours prior to the accident, which was his sixth flight lesson in N44335. This was the first time the student pilot was seated in the left pilot seat, which was the only seat equipped with operable brakes. The student pilot reported that upon engine start, the instructor removed the wheel chock and entered the right seat. When the student applied throttle for taxi, the airplane veered left toward N7672Y. The instructor instructed him to apply right brake and retard throttle, but the student stated that he failed to move his right foot from the rudder to the brake in a timely manner and, in his confusion, did not retard the throttle. The student also stated that he found it difficult to coordinate the throttle and control wheel, thinking the control wheel acted like a car steering wheel. The instructor turned the magneto switch off before the left wing of the Taylorcraft struck the windshield and left wing of N7672Y.
Damage
N7672Y sustained substantial damage to the left wing and windshield. N44335 also received substantial damage.