What happened
On the early morning of 3 May 1999, a Piper PA28-180, registration ZS-EIV, was prepared for flight at Grand Central Airport. During the pre-flight process, the pilot discovered that the aircraft's starter motor was unserviceable. To proceed, the pilot opted to start the engine using the manual method of hand-swinging the propeller.
During this procedure, the aircraft's parking brake had not been engaged, and no wheel chocks had been placed in front of the tires. Once the engine successfully ignited, the aircraft began to roll forward across the apron. As the pilot attempted to board the moving aircraft, he slipped and fell. The Piper PA28-180 continued to travel for approximately 100 meters before striking another aircraft that was parked on the apron. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported in the incident.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the circumstances surrounding the engine start at Grand Central Airport. The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the starter motor and the subsequent manual starting technique employed by the pilot. The inquiry established that the movement of the aircraft was a direct result of the lack of physical restraints on the wheels during the hand-start sequence.