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ERA15CA057

2014-11-20 · St. Petersburg, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SPG

Current FAA registration · N6004S

Make / Model
CESSNA 208B
Seats / Engines
12 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7CA34

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to properly set the throttle prior to engine start, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a hangar.

Factual narrative

The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight. He completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which was parked outside of the pilot's hangar and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. The pilot then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in the full open position, but forgot to retard the throttle to a one quarter position before starting the engine. When the engine started the airplane "leaped forward." The pilot quickly applied brakes, but the airplane accelerated across the taxiway and struck the opposing hangar and a parked airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. The pilot had planned to depart on a local solo flight. He completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which was parked outside of the pilot's hangar and pointed towards a set of hangars about 50 feet away. The pilot then primed the cylinders of the 335-horsepower engine with the throttle in the full open position, but forgot to retard the throttle to a one quarter position before starting the engine. When the engine started the airplane "leaped forward." The pilot quickly applied brakes, but the airplane accelerated across the taxiway and struck the opposing hangar and a parked airplane, which resulted in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine controls-Power lever-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_ERA15CA057.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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