ATL04LA074

Factual narrative

On February 7, 2004, at 1245 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N21266, registered to and operated by a private owner, taxied unmanned into a parked airplane at Summerville Airport, Summerville, South Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot received minor injuries, and the airplane and a parked airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was originating from Summerville, South Carolina, at the time of the accident. The pilot was preparing for a flight to Columbia, South Carolina, to deliver the airplane for avionics maintenance. The pilot stated that when he engaged the starter, it made a spinning noise, and the airplane would not start. The pilot set the parking brake and attempted to start the airplane by rotating the propeller by hand. The airplane started and moved forward, and the pilot climbed up on the right wing to enter the cockpit but slipped and fell to the ground. The pilot grabbed onto the cabin step and was dragged as he attempted to gain access to the cockpit. When the pilot realized a collision with a parked airplane was imminent, he released his hold on the cabin step. The airplane taxied unmanned and collided with a parked airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right wing spar and propeller, and the parked airplane sustained damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. The pilot set the parking brake and attempted to start the airplane by rotating the propeller by hand. The airplane started and moved forward, and the pilot climbed up on the right wing to enter the cockpit but slipped and fell to the ground. The pilot grabbed onto the cabin step and was dragged as he attempted to gain access to the cockpit. When the pilot realized a collision with a parked airplane was imminent, he released his hold on the cabin step. The airplane taxied unmanned and collided with a parked airplane. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12