What happened
On Saturday, June 30, 2001, at approximately 15:00, a Racer 447 ultralight (identified as 29-FJ) was involved in an accident during a local flight operation at the Coulommiers aerodrome. Because the engine was cold, the pilot performed the engine start while standing outside the aircraft.
Immediately after the engine was started, the pilot noticed that the engine speed was excessively high. In an attempt to adjust the throttle, the pilot inadvertently moved the control in the wrong direction, causing the engine to accelerate further. This sudden increase in power caused the aircraft to begin moving forward. Unable to reach the electrical master switch to shut down the engine, the pilot attempted to grab the aircraft to stop it, causing him to fall. During the fall, the pilot's leg was struck by the propeller. The aircraft continued to move, spun in circles approximately ten times, and eventually tipped backward before coming to a halt.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the engine start procedure and the pilot's physical positioning relative to the aircraft. The BEA noted that the pilot's actions were driven by the need to manage a high engine RPM during a cold start while standing outside the cockpit.
Findings
- The primary cause of the injury was the inversion of the throttle control action during the engine start.
- The pilot was positioned outside the aircraft to facilitate the start of the cold engine.
- The aircraft sustained light damage during the event.
- The pilot sustained one injury to the leg caused by propeller contact.