NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA16CA264
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to properly set the throttle and secure the airplane before hand-propping the engine for startup.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he hand-propped the engine, boarded the airplane and began to taxi. Shortly thereafter, the engine "sputtered and stalled." He then realized that he had left the fuel selector in the off position. He set the parking brake, turned the fuel on, exited the airplane and hand-propped the engine again. The engine started and ran at a high rpm. The airplane moved forward and began to spin in circles. The pilot attempted to get back in the cockpit; however, the door had swung closed and the airplane struck him, knocking him to the ground. The airplane spun a few more times before striking a hangar, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, and coming to a stop. Afterward, the pilot recalled that he had forgotten to retard the throttle before attempting the second engine start. The airplane was not equipped with an electric starter. The pilot stated that he hand-propped the engine, boarded the airplane, and began to taxi and that, shortly thereafter, the engine "sputtered and stalled." He then realized that he had left the fuel selector in the "off" position. He set the parking brake, turned the fuel on, exited the airplane, and hand-propped the engine again. The engine started and ran at a high rpm. The airplane moved forward and began to spin in circles. The pilot attempted to get back in the cockpit; however, the door had swung closed, and the airplane struck him, knocking him to the ground. The airplane spun a few more times before striking a hangar, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing, and coming to a stop. Afterward, the pilot recalled that he had forgotten to retard the throttle before attempting the second engine start. The airplane was not equipped with an electric starter. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incomplete action-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Parking/securing-Tie-down/mooring-Incorrect use/operation - C
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Airport structure-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2016_ERA16CA264.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Conference Paper
Computational Analysis of Steady State Aerodynamics of Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Configuration in Deep Stall
This study presents a computational investigation of steady state aerodynamics of the Subsonic Ultra-Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) configuration over a wide range …
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Automating Bird Diverter Installation through Multi-Aerial Robots and Signal Temporal Logic Specifications
This paper tackles the task assignment and trajectory generation problem for bird diverter installation using a fleet of multi-rotors.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Variation of Critical Crystallization Pressure for the Formation of Square Ice in Graphene Nanocapillaries
Two-dimensional square ice in graphene nanocapillaries at room temperature is a fascinating phenomenon and has been confirmed experimentally.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Polycrystallinity enhances stress build-up around ice
Damage caused by freezing wet, porous materials is a widespread problem, but is hard to predict or control. Here, we show that polycrystallinity makes a great difference to the stress build-up process…
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Enhanced Prediction of Three-dimensional Finite Iced Wing Separated Flow Near Stall
Icing on three-dimensional wings causes severe flow separation near stall. Standard improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) is unable to correctly predict the separating reattaching flow due…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (JAAER)
Analysis on the Negative Emotional, Physiological, and Cognitive Responses Elicited from of the Activation of a Stall Alarm
Failing to identify an aerodynamic stall can lead to the inability of an aircraft to sustain flight. To warn pilots of an impending or fully-developed stall, many aircraft have safety devices installe…
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