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LAX90LA006

1989-10-07 · SANTA YNEZ, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport IZA

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY SECURE THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE HAND PROPPING THE ENGINE.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT PLACED HIS AIRCRAFT'S THROTTLE IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION TO CLEAR THE FLOODED ENGINE, AND THEN HE ROTATED THE PROPELLER BY HAND SEVERAL TIMES. THE PILOT THEN TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND AGAIN ROTATED THE PROPELLER BY HAND. THE ENGINE STARTED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE PILOT HAD FAILED TO ADEQUATELY SECURE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE PARKING FACILITY AND HAD 'MISTAKENLY' LEFT THE THROTTLE 'FULL OPEN', WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED, THE AIRPLANE JUMPED OVER THE CHOCKS. THE UNOCCUPIED AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, CLIMBED TO 150 FT AGL, ROLLED LEFT, AND DESCENDED UNTIL CRASHING ONTO AIRPORT PROPERTY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_LAX90LA006.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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