What happened
On January 31, 2001, a Cessna 172 P Skyhawk, registered F-GDIX, was involved in an incident at the Grenoble Le Versoud aerodrome during a training flight. Prior to the training session, the student pilot proposed to taxi the aircraft alone from the aero club parking area to the fuel pumps. During the engine start, the pilot set the throttle to full power.
As the engine ignited, the aircraft immediately began to move and accelerated rapidly across the parking area. The pilot attempted to locate the throttle lever while the aircraft continued at high speed, narrowly avoiding several other parked aircraft. The aircraft crossed the taxiway, traveled across a grass area, and eventually became airborne just before the runway, flying over the runway at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. The pilot managed to regain control and leveled off at an altitude of 500 feet. After being contacted by the air traffic controller, the pilot was granted landing priority and completed the landing without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cockpit procedures and the pilot's familiarity with the aircraft type. It was established that the student pilot had completed previous training on SOCATA ST 110 Rallye and Robin DR 400 aircraft, but possessed only approximately six hours of experience on the Cessna 172. His most recent flight on this specific model had occurred in July 2000.
Investigators found that the pilot did not use a checklist or any guiding procedures during the engine start sequence. Although the pilot stated the parking brake was applied, he decided not to use the brakes after starting the engine. Crucially, the pilot attempted to locate the throttle lever to his left, a habit developed from flying aircraft with different control layouts. However, on the Cessna 172, the single throttle control is located in the center of the instrument panel.
Findings
- Inattention during the engine start sequence.
- An incorrect mental representation of the throttle control position due to the pilot's previous experience with different aircraft.
- Excessive confidence by the instructor in the student pilot's ability to taxi the aircraft alone.