What happened
On 29 April 2009, a Jodel D117, registration G-ATIZ, was involved in an accident at Tower Farm, Wollaston, Northamptonshire. The aircraft, operated for a private flight, was being prepared for departure after being removed from its hangar.
Upon starting the engine, the aircraft began to move forward. Because the aircraft lacked a parking brake and had not been secured with chocks, the pilot attempted to intercept the moving plane by pushing against the airframe. However, the pilot was unable to stop the movement, and the aircraft turned to the left, eventually striking a hedge. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller, the tailwheel, and the leading edges of both wings. The pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot had performed several pre-flight tasks, including turning on the fuel, setting the magnetos, and adjusting the mixture to full rich. During the engine start sequence, the pilot set the throttle to just above idle.
Crucially, the pilot admitted to deviating from his standard operating procedures. He failed to manually rotate the propeller through several turns before ignition, a practice he usually followed. On the third rotation of the propeller, the engine stalled. The pilot attributed the incident to a combination of haste and a failure to adhere to his established checklist.