Incident Overview
During a return flight to his home airport, a pilot noticed the airplane's cabin lights appeared dim. He decided to land to investigate the lighting issue and refuel, ensuring full fuel tanks for the remainder of the night flight. After parking the airplane in front of the fuel pump, he refueled both wing tanks and then pushed the airplane back. He planned to check whether the battery would charge before continuing.
When he attempted to start the engine, the propeller turned slowly and the engine failed to start. The pilot elected to hand-prop the airplane. He set the throttle, mixture, and parking brake as required. After several attempts, the engine started. The pilot reported that the engine initially seemed at idle, but then the revolutions per minute (rpm) increased. The airplane moved forward and, before the pilot could intervene, struck the fuel station's credit card machine.
Damage and Inspection
The collision caused substantial damage to the airframe's belly and bottom firewall area. Minor damage was noted to the cowling, propeller, and nosewheel pant. The fuel pump's credit card machine and a set of steps were also damaged.
The responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. The throttle's friction lock was found to be functioning properly. However, a check of the parking brake revealed that even after application, the airplane could move; the brakes did not work as intended. The specific cause of the brake malfunction was not identified.