NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR12CA137
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot did not properly secure the airplane before starting the engine by manually rotating the propeller, which resulted in the inadvertent movement of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that prior to starting the engine by manually rotating the propeller, he set the bakes, throttle, and trim. He exited the airplane, and proceeded to rotate the propeller. When the engine started, it went to full rpm and the airplane started to move forward on the taxiway at a high speed. The airplane veered off the taxiway and continued its high speed taxi until it impacted a hangar door, damaging the engine, both wings, and the right main landing gear. The pilot reported to the responding officer that he had not chocked the airplane and thought the brake was set. He further reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. The pilot stated that, before starting the engine by manually rotating the propeller, he set the brakes, throttle, and trim. He exited the airplane and proceeded to rotate the propeller. When the engine started, it went to full rpm, and the airplane started to move forward on the taxiway at a high speed. The airplane veered off the taxiway and continued its high speed taxi until it impacted a hangar door, damaging the engine, both wings, and the right main landing gear. The pilot reported that he had not chocked the airplane and thought the brake was set. He further reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. 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 Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Parking/securing-Tie-down/mooring-Incorrect use/operation - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2012_WPR12CA137.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. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
AirTrack: Onboard Deep Learning Framework for Long-Range Aircraft Detection and Tracking
Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) capabilities are critical for safe operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This paper introduces, AirTrack, a real-time vision-only detect and tracking framework that res…
- Semantic Scholar 2017 · Article (Trials)
Effectiveness of two web-based cognitive bias modification interventions targeting approach and attentional bias in gambling problems: study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial
BackgroundDisordered gamblers have phenotypical and pathological similarities to those with substance use disorders (SUD), including exaggerated automatic cognitive processing of motivationally salien…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2014 · Conference paper
FAA Safety Seminar (Open to the General Public)
This seminar will focus on reducing the aviation accident rate through the enhancement of safety culture. Human factors influences on accident and incidents will also be discussed with an emphasis on …
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2003 · Journal article (JAAER)
Desirable Faculty Qualifications as Assessed by Students in the Aeronautical Science Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Over 89% of the sophomore aerodynamics students (182 out of 207) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University were surveyed during Spring Term 2003 to explore student preferences relative to instructor qua…
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