Accident Details
On 23 July 2012 at 1530 UTC, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee (registration G-BBHY) collided with a stationary Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III (registration G-GFTB) at Guernsey Airport. The pilot of G-BBHY had intended to taxi the aircraft a short distance to a nearby maintenance facility. After boarding, he closed the door but left the upper door latch unlatched. The engine was already warm, so he performed a hot start. As he reduced the throttle setting, he noticed the door had opened. Instinctively, he let go of the throttle and grabbed the armrest to close the door. The aircraft had by then started to accelerate along the ground. The pilot then stamped his right foot on the right rudder pedal as if braking in a car, but this aircraft does not have toe brakes; this action caused the aircraft to veer to the right into the rear section of G-GFTB, which was parked and unoccupied.
Aircraft Information
G-BBHY was a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, manufactured in 1973 (serial number 28-7305474), powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4A piston engine. The pilot, aged 57, held a Private Pilot's Licence with 466 hours total flying experience (429 on type), including 10 hours in the last 28 days. G-GFTB was a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, manufactured in 1999 (serial number 2842048), powered by a Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. It had no crew or passengers on board.
Damage and Investigation
G-GFTB sustained substantial damage to its fuselage. G-BBHY sustained damage to its spinner, engine, propeller, right wing, and windshields. The pilot reported that he would normally ensure the parking brake was on but believed he either forgot to check it or that the brake locking mechanism had somehow become disengaged. A subsequent check of the brake system found no faults. No injuries were reported. The information for this report was provided by the pilot via an Aircraft Accident Report Form.