GA small aircraft started accidentally with no one in the cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	127226
Time
Date	198910
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pao
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1490 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	127226
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I preflted my aircraft for flight. Entered aircraft, performed my cockpit check. Next primed engine, set magnetic switch on left magnetic and cracked throttle. On actuating starter button, starter wound up but did not engage. Voltage of battery condition indicated over 10 volts with starter wind up. Decided to lubricate bendix area of starter. Turned off master and thought magnetic switch, but somehow I hadn't turned off completely. I went to the front of the plane with the intention of lubricating the bendix, moving the propeller slightly to uncover the starter area so that I could spray some lubricant into it. The engine fired and started. I tried to hold the plane but pivoted around me and ran into the hangar door. Nobody was hurt but the aircraft sustained propeller and wingtip damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA STARTED ACCIDENTALLY WITH NO ONE IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: I PREFLTED MY ACFT FOR FLT. ENTERED ACFT, PERFORMED MY COCKPIT CHECK. NEXT PRIMED ENGINE, SET MAG SWITCH ON LEFT MAG AND CRACKED THROTTLE. ON ACTUATING STARTER BUTTON, STARTER WOUND UP BUT DID NOT ENGAGE. VOLTAGE OF BATTERY CONDITION INDICATED OVER 10 VOLTS WITH STARTER WIND UP. DECIDED TO LUBRICATE BENDIX AREA OF STARTER. TURNED OFF MASTER AND THOUGHT MAG SWITCH, BUT SOMEHOW I HADN'T TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. I WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE WITH THE INTENTION OF LUBRICATING THE BENDIX, MOVING THE PROPELLER SLIGHTLY TO UNCOVER THE STARTER AREA SO THAT I COULD SPRAY SOME LUBRICANT INTO IT. THE ENGINE FIRED AND STARTED. I TRIED TO HOLD THE PLANE BUT PIVOTED AROUND ME AND RAN INTO THE HANGAR DOOR. NOBODY WAS HURT BUT THE ACFT SUSTAINED PROPELLER AND WINGTIP DAMAGE.

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.