What happened
On January 22, 2016, a Cessna 175C, registration LN-AAE, was involved in a serious aviation incident at Molde Airport Årø. The aircraft, operated for private purposes, was being moved to a fueling station following a flight from Bjørli. Due to extreme cold temperatures of approximately -20 °C, the engine failed to start using the onboard starter, necessitating a manual propeller swing to initiate combustion.
During the startup procedure, a passenger was assigned the task of monitoring the brakes and the throttle. As the pilot swung the propeller, the passenger inadvertently pushed the throttle forward. This sudden increase in engine power caused the aircraft to lose traction on the icy, snow-covered surface, leading to an uncontrolled slide. The aircraft traveled approximately 30 to 40 meters before the passenger corrected the throttle position. The movement ceased only about half a meter away from a parked snowplow. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) examined the sequence of events and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The investigation noted that while the pilot had utilized engine heaters and a fan earlier in the day, the extreme cold still prevented a standard electrical start. The investigation also reviewed the roles assigned to the occupants during the manual start process and the effectiveness of the braking on the wintry runway surface.