Incident Overview
On September 6, 2012, at 11:25 local time, a Mooney M20K registered as F-GCJB was involved in an accident at the Lille Lesquin aerodrome. The aircraft sustained significant damage after colliding with a hangar while on the ground.
Operational Context
The pilot, who was also a co-owner of the aircraft, intended to fly to Ajaccio with three passengers. Due to delays experienced by the passengers, the pilot began performing partial pre-start checks and procedures while simultaneously starting the engine for preheating purposes. During this process, the aircraft moved abruptly, deviated to the left, and impacted the hangar structure.
Technical Findings
An examination of the wreckage revealed that the parking brake control was in the "applied" position. However, the pilot's seat adjustment was such that the rudder pedals could not be reached. Additionally, the throttle lever was positioned 1.5 cm from the idle setting, whereas the flight manual recommended a distance of 1 cm for engine start-up procedures.
Pilot Profile
The pilot was 57 years old and held a valid license since 1998. At the time of the accident, he had accumulated a total of 698 flight hours, including 36 hours on this specific aircraft type and seven hours in the preceding month.