What happened
On 26 July 2014, an Avions Pierre Robin, registration G-BLWF, was being prepared for a private local flight at Bourn Airfield, Cambridgeshire. The weather conditions were clear and the ground surfaces were dry.
The pilot moved the aircraft from its hangar onto a nearby taxiway to begin engine start procedures. Following an initial unsuccessful start attempt, the pilot advanced the throttle before trying again. While the second attempt successfully ignited the engine, the aircraft immediately generated excessive power. This caused the aircraft to move forward and veer to the right. The pilot could not arrest the movement, and the aircraft traveled roughly 30 feet before striking an unoccupied, parked private vehicle.
There were no injuries to the pilot, though the collision resulted in damage to the aircraft's left wing, propeller, and engine firewall, as well as damage to the parked car.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examiner looked into the sequence of events leading to the uncontrolled movement of the aircraft on the taxiway. The pilot indicated that the engine's high power output was a direct result of the throttle position being further advanced than intended during the start sequence.