GA pilot reported losing control of aircraft when attempting to hand crank the engine for start. The aircraft struck a stationary vehicle; damaging the aircraft.

2021-10 · NASA ASRS report 1850679

Date: 2021-10 · Aircraft: Aeronca Champion · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|ground-event-encounter-vehicle

Synopsis

GA pilot reported losing control of aircraft when attempting to hand crank the engine for start. The aircraft struck a stationary vehicle; damaging the aircraft.

Narrative

My airplane got away from me and struck a parked vehicle. My airplane has no electrical system; hence; it requires to be propped by hand in order to start the engine. After several attempts to start the engine; the engine would die before I could get to the throttle control in the cockpit. I finally cracked the throttle and pulled the prop through with the switch off several times in order to raise the fuel vapors up to the cylinders. I then went back to the cockpit to turn the switch on. Then I went back to the prop to pull it through. The engine immediately started at a higher than normal RPM and the airplane began moving forward rapidly. I ran around the wing struts to get in the cockpit; but the door latch stuck and I couldn't reach the throttle. I then held on to the wing strut healed back as hard as I could so the airplane would go in circles instead of straight ahead until someone could come to help. However; the airplane was too heavy and after several circles I couldn't hold it any longer. The airplane then impacted the parked car.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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