What happened
On 4 April 2003, a Cessna 172N Skyhawk, registration G-SEVE, was involved in a ground accident at Netherthorpe Airfield, Nottingham. The incident occurred during a training flight while a student pilot was performing taxiing duties under the instruction of an instructor.
Following a request to move the aircraft from its parking spot to the fuel pumps, the student pilot performed the required pre-start checks. After setting the parking brake and starting the engine, the aircraft accelerated forward with unexpected speed. The movement resulted in a collision with the rear of a parked Cessna 150. The impact caused significant damage to the tailplane of the stationary aircraft and resulted in damage to the propeller of the Cessna 172N Skyhawk. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the engine was shut down following the impact.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the report submitted by the pilot, focused on the sequence of engine start and the subsequent movement of the aircraft. The examiner established that the student pilot had incorrectly interpreted a checklist instruction regarding throttle positioning.
While the checklist required the throttle to be set 1/4 inch open, the pilot instead set the throttle to a position 1/4 inch from the firewall, which effectively placed the engine at almost full power. The investigation confirmed that the resulting high power setting caused the aircraft to surge forward so rapidly that the application of the toe-brakes was insufficient to prevent the collision.