OPERATOR OF EXPERIMENTAL LSA IS UNABLE TO RESTRAIN THE CRAFT FROM MOVING AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE WITH NO PILOT ABOARD. COLLISION WITH A PARKED TRUCK RESULTS.

Narrative

THE EVENT INVOLVED AN EXPERIMENTAL LSA PWRED PARACHUTE. AT THE END OF A DAY OF PRACTICE GND OPS AND 2 VERY SHORT FLTS; WITHOUT ANY INTENTION OF ANY FURTHER OPS; THE CANOPY OF THE PWRED PARACHUTE WAS PACKED INTO A LARGE STOWAGE BAG AND SECURED IN THE REAR PAX SEAT. TO RECORD THE DAY'S TIME OF ENG OP; THE OPERATOR WANTED TO CHK THE ACFT TIME AS INDICATED ON AN LED DISPLAY PRIOR TO PLACING THE RIG IN AN ENCLOSED TRAILER THAT IS UTILIZED FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT ENG NEEDS TO BE RUNNING TO ENERGIZE THE LED DISPLAY. THE ENG DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL START SYSTEM BUT INSTEAD HAS A RECOIL ROPE PULL START. WITH THE PARACHUTE CANOPY SECURED IN THE AFT PAX SEAT; THE PULL START TO THE ENG DID NOT APPEAR TO BE READILY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE PLT SEAT. THUS; THE OPERATOR ELECTED TO PULL THE RECOIL STARTER WHILE STANDING ON THE GND AT A POSITION TO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT. WHEN THE ENG STARTED; THE ENG BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ABOVE IDLE RPM. THE OPERATOR DID NOT KNOW WHY THE ENG WAS ACCELERATING BECAUSE HE HAD CHKED THE THROTTLE CLOSED PREVIOUSLY. INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE REASON FOR THE ENG'S ACCELERATION; THE OPERATOR ELECTED TO ATTEMPT TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN WITH THE 2 MAGNETO SWITCHES OF THE DUAL IGNITION SYSTEM THAT ARE LOCATED AT THE FRONT OF THE FRONT PLT'S SEAT. THE OPERATOR WAS ONLY ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY TURN 1 OF THE 2 MAGNETO SWITCHES TO THE 'OFF' POSITION AND THUS THE ENG CONTINUED TO RUN ON THE REMAINING IGNITION SYSTEM. FORTUNATELY; THE OPERATOR TAKES CARE TO ALWAYS CHK THAT NOBODY IS IN FRONT OF; OR BEHIND; THE PPG BEFORE STARTING IT. DUE TO THE THRUST OF THE ENG; THE OPERATOR WAS UNABLE TO RESTRAIN THE ACFT FROM MOVING FORWARD. THE ACFT ROLLED FORWARD FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND IMPACTED THE REAR OF A PARKED TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED ADJACENT TO THE SOD COVERED AREA. NOBODY WAS INSIDE THE TRUCK. NOBODY WAS INJURED. THE OPERATOR SUSPECTS THAT THE ENG ACCELERATED UPON START DUE TO THE REAR THROTTLE OF A DUAL CTL THROTTLE SYSTEM BEING INADVERTENTLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY ADVANCED AS THE PARACHUTE; IN THE PARACHUTE STOWAGE BAG; WAS PLACED AND SECURED IN THE AFT PAX SEAT. IRONICALLY; THE OPERATOR HAS EMPHATICALLY MADE A POINT OF TELLING OTHERS TO INSURE THAT THE THROTTLE IS CLOSED PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENG. A CHK OF THE THROTTLE BEING CLOSED IS ON THE OPERATOR'S PRE-START CHKLIST. AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT; IN THE FUTURE; THE OPERATOR WILL MAKE A POINT TO CHK THE THROTTLE FULLY CLOSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE STARTING THE ENG. FURTHERMORE; EVEN FOR OPS CHKS WHERE THERE IS NO INTENTION TO CONDUCT A FLT; THE OPERATOR WILL NOT START THE ENG UNLESS HE IS SEATED IN THE PLT'S SEAT WITH FULL ACCESS TO ALL OF THE CTLS.