ERA12CA277

Factual narrative

The airplane was parked on the ramp and the pilot reported that he had difficulty starting the engine. On the third attempt, the engine started at a high rpm, and the airplane rolled forward. The pilot applied left rudder to avoid a fuel truck, reduced the throttle to idle, and applied brakes; however, the airplane's forward momentum and engine rpm still seemed high. The pilot subsequently shut-down the engine; however, the airplane struck a parked, unoccupied airplane, and sustained substantial damage to its right wing. Examination of the airplane, which included the brake and throttle control systems did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot reported that he had difficulty starting the engine. On the third attempt, the engine started at a high rpm, and the airplane rolled forward. The pilot applied left rudder and brakes and reduced the throttle to idle, but the airplane's forward momentum and engine rpm still seemed high, so the pilot used the mixture control to shut down the engine. However, the airplane struck a parked, unoccupied airplane before it stopped, and sustained substantial damage to its right wing. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C