Pilot of small aircraft at non tower airport propellers aircraft due to low battery. Throttle was se...

Attributes
ACN	126141
Time
Date	198910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 6d1
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : frg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 538 flight time type : 425
ASRS Report	126141
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed at airport and parked on apron. Approximately 45 mins later tried to depart and plane had low battery. Hand started engine and plane started rolling and hit chain link entrance fence. In future will not be in such a hurry and pay more attention to battery. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that he thought he only cracked the throttle, but the engine RPM was higher than he expected. Aircraft has old-style parking brake that uses a dashboard actuated chain to hold the pushrods going into the brake cylinders. Parking brake was set, but not effectively so. Reporter stated that, as the aircraft started to move, he ran around the back and tried to get in the door, but that the vertical stabilizer hit him and knocked him down causing bruises and a broken rib. Aircraft was totaled by insurance company. FAA is looking into enforcement action against the reporter. Pilot had not flown aircraft for about a month prior to the day of the incident and the battery was about 4 yrs old. That day he had flown the aircraft for over an hour prior to the incident happening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA AT NON TWR ARPT PROPELLERS ACFT DUE TO LOW BATTERY. THROTTLE WAS SET TOO HIGH AND BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE ALLOWING ACFT TO RUNAWAY AND HIT FENCE.

Narrative: LANDED AT ARPT AND PARKED ON APRON. APPROX 45 MINS LATER TRIED TO DEPART AND PLANE HAD LOW BATTERY. HAND STARTED ENGINE AND PLANE STARTED ROLLING AND HIT CHAIN LINK ENTRANCE FENCE. IN FUTURE WILL NOT BE IN SUCH A HURRY AND PAY MORE ATTN TO BATTERY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE ONLY CRACKED THE THROTTLE, BUT THE ENGINE RPM WAS HIGHER THAN HE EXPECTED. ACFT HAS OLD-STYLE PARKING BRAKE THAT USES A DASHBOARD ACTUATED CHAIN TO HOLD THE PUSHRODS GOING INTO THE BRAKE CYLINDERS. PARKING BRAKE WAS SET, BUT NOT EFFECTIVELY SO. REPORTER STATED THAT, AS THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE, HE RAN AROUND THE BACK AND TRIED TO GET IN THE DOOR, BUT THAT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER HIT HIM AND KNOCKED HIM DOWN CAUSING BRUISES AND A BROKEN RIB. ACFT WAS TOTALED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. FAA IS LOOKING INTO ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE REPORTER. PLT HAD NOT FLOWN ACFT FOR ABOUT A MONTH PRIOR TO THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT AND THE BATTERY WAS ABOUT 4 YRS OLD. THAT DAY HE HAD FLOWN THE ACFT FOR OVER AN HR PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT HAPPENING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of small aircraft at non tower airport propellers aircraft due to low battery. Throttle was set too high and brakes were ineffective allowing aircraft to runaway and hit fence.