Narrative:

My wife accompanied me to SOP that morning and we were to use her car to boost start my aircraft. In order to gain access to both batteries it is necessary to position the car very close (approximately 12') to the fuselage just behind (about 24') the right wing and about 35' anterior to the rear stabilator. After having positioned the car accordingly, I completed my usual preflight check. I connected the 2 batteries with the appropriate connector cables and had my wife start the car, and allowed it to run for several mins prior to attempting to start the aircraft. I got into the aircraft, set the parking brake and locked it, after which I started the aircraft and allowed it to run momentarily, checking to be sure the parking brake was set and holding. I next throttled the engine back to its lowest power setting, approximately 400-600 rpms. Following this I got out of the aircraft and disconnected the batteries, which took less than 1 min, and got back into the aircraft. Throughout this entire procedure my wife was in the automobile waiting my signal to move the car after I got back into the aircraft, but before I signalled my wife to move the car, I was approached by 2 men and told to shut the aircraft down. I later learned they were FAA personnel and was verbally reprimanded for the manner in which I had boost started my aircraft. I have given this event a great deal of thought since it occurred and agree that it would have been safer to have left the airplane chocked and tied while disconnecting the batteries, and will do so should this ever be necessary again. However, I do not agree that what was done was done in complete disregard for property or safety. I base my beliefs on the following facts: 1) the car was positioned so that in the unlikely event that parking brake failed at most the aircraft could have only moved a maximum of 2-3'. 2) since this situation occurred, I have performed a usual run-up procedure at 1900 rpms using the parking brake to hold the aircraft and it did so with no problem. Thus I would think it inconceivable that the aircraft could roll at 400-600 rpms.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT JUMP STARTS ACFT. FAA REPRESENTATIVES CHALLENGE HIS PROCS.

Narrative: MY WIFE ACCOMPANIED ME TO SOP THAT MORNING AND WE WERE TO USE HER CAR TO BOOST START MY ACFT. IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO BOTH BATTERIES IT IS NECESSARY TO POS THE CAR VERY CLOSE (APPROX 12') TO THE FUSELAGE JUST BEHIND (ABOUT 24') THE RIGHT WING AND ABOUT 35' ANTERIOR TO THE REAR STABILATOR. AFTER HAVING POSITIONED THE CAR ACCORDINGLY, I COMPLETED MY USUAL PREFLT CHK. I CONNECTED THE 2 BATTERIES WITH THE APPROPRIATE CONNECTOR CABLES AND HAD MY WIFE START THE CAR, AND ALLOWED IT TO RUN FOR SEVERAL MINS PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING TO START THE ACFT. I GOT INTO THE ACFT, SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED IT, AFTER WHICH I STARTED THE ACFT AND ALLOWED IT TO RUN MOMENTARILY, CHKING TO BE SURE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND HOLDING. I NEXT THROTTLED THE ENG BACK TO ITS LOWEST PWR SETTING, APPROX 400-600 RPMS. FOLLOWING THIS I GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERIES, WHICH TOOK LESS THAN 1 MIN, AND GOT BACK INTO THE ACFT. THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROC MY WIFE WAS IN THE AUTOMOBILE WAITING MY SIGNAL TO MOVE THE CAR AFTER I GOT BACK INTO THE ACFT, BUT BEFORE I SIGNALLED MY WIFE TO MOVE THE CAR, I WAS APCHED BY 2 MEN AND TOLD TO SHUT THE ACFT DOWN. I LATER LEARNED THEY WERE FAA PERSONNEL AND WAS VERBALLY REPRIMANDED FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH I HAD BOOST STARTED MY ACFT. I HAVE GIVEN THIS EVENT A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT SINCE IT OCCURRED AND AGREE THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER TO HAVE LEFT THE AIRPLANE CHOCKED AND TIED WHILE DISCONNECTING THE BATTERIES, AND WILL DO SO SHOULD THIS EVER BE NECESSARY AGAIN. HOWEVER, I DO NOT AGREE THAT WHAT WAS DONE WAS DONE IN COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR PROPERTY OR SAFETY. I BASE MY BELIEFS ON THE FOLLOWING FACTS: 1) THE CAR WAS POSITIONED SO THAT IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT PARKING BRAKE FAILED AT MOST THE ACFT COULD HAVE ONLY MOVED A MAX OF 2-3'. 2) SINCE THIS SITUATION OCCURRED, I HAVE PERFORMED A USUAL RUN-UP PROC AT 1900 RPMS USING THE PARKING BRAKE TO HOLD THE ACFT AND IT DID SO WITH NO PROB. THUS I WOULD THINK IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT THE ACFT COULD ROLL AT 400-600 RPMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.