Narrative:

I, with my wife and child, approached our family aircraft for a routine flight to our home base at mvy airport. Earlier that morning I contacted bridgeport FSS and received a complete WX briefing. My total time as a private pilot is about 635 hours, without prior incident. The aircraft, a meticulously maintained cessna 177B cardinal, and my pilot qualifications, complied with all applicable standards and currency. At the time I approached the aircraft I remember being somewhat apprehensive due to possible forecasted possible snow showers later that day at my destination (mvy), and the fact I was a VFR only pilot. Another contributing factor was that my 3 year old daughter was complaining of being cold in the aircraft and my seven month pregnant wife had the flu and wanted to return home. The outside temperature was only about 8 degrees fahrenheit. I performed the normal pre-flight maneuvers, had the engine pre-heated before we arrived, entered the aircraft with my family, secured same, and performed all safety checklist items. After I called out 'clear' I then attempted to engage the ignition. I tried several times but the propeller would not turn over. This same occurrence had happened to me on other extremely cold mornings and I was able to alleviate the problem by exiting the aircraft, first shutting off the battery and ignition, and manually rotating the propeller prior to re- engaging the ignition. That morning, after experience of cold starting problem, I exited the aircraft and manually rotated the propeller with the attempt to loosen up the oil. This was the standard procedure the cessna's owner's manual recommends for cold starting. On the third half turn of the propeller the engine unexpectantly started. As my wife and child were secured in the rear seat of the airplane, and my wife did not have basic airplane control knowledge, I immediately attempted to re-enter the cabin to shut the motor off. The airplane, after the engine began, immediately began a forward motion and due to the slippery ice conditions, I was not able to re-enter the cabin. The aircraft and the propeller, within seconds, collided with another parked aircraft (a seneca) causing an abrupt stoppage of the my propeller. No human injuries occurred, yet there was substantial damage to both aircraft. I would attribute this accident to several factors: 1) the very cold outside temperature created a hard starting situation requiring me to use alternate methods for pre-starting, as per cessna recommendation. 2) pressure from my family to begin the flight and warm the aircraft was present. 3) the WX conditions were forecast to deteriorate within hours and I was under pressure to get the aircraft going and airborne. 4) I may not have checked to see whether I turned off the ignition, mixture control, and/or battery switch when exiting the aircraft, or in the alternative, a hot magnetic situation was present which is yet to be determined. 5) I did not secure the aircraft to prevent aircraft movement in the event of an inadvertent engine start. 6) I did not train my wife with instructions on how to shut off an airplane in the event of inadvertent start, nor was there any trained person in the front of the aircraft to terminate any inadvertent start. 7) I may have been overconfident from being incident free for almost 10 years as a pilot. In reading my aircraft owner's manual concerning 'cold WX operation', I did follow standard cessna procedure for cold starting. The cessna owner's manual recommends, 'prior to starting on a cold morning, it is advisable to pull the propeller through several times by hand to break loose or limber the oil, thus conserving battery energy'. Though logic would dictate precaution, nowhere in the owner's manual is it stated to first secure the aircraft, pull out the mixture control, turn off the ignition and battery switches, or any other precautions mentioned. Though the manual notes the possibility of an inadvertent start, recommendation for preventing or alleviating this situation are not discussed. Recommendations: 1) the aircraft owner's manual, and subsequent pilot training, should place emphasis on how to avoid an inadvertent propeller start and spell out pre-cautions to implement. No where in my pilot training, or reference in the official aircraft owner's manual, has the subject been covered in any detail. I would recommend that cessna send out a news brief addressing this potential life threatening situation as it is not adequately discussed in the owner's manual. I also feel that the FAA could require instructors to instruct all pilots the proper and safe method for an aircraft owner to rotate the propeller, or discuss whether this procedure is ever really necessary or safe? 2) the sate of mind of a pilot is also crucial. Due to climatic conditions and family pressures, a certain level of anxiety existed contributing to my poor judgement I shall remember not to allow outside pressures to contribute to poor judgement. I consider myself to be a very safety conscientious person.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS START UP WITH NO ONE AT CTLS. RAMS ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I, WITH MY WIFE AND CHILD, APCHED OUR FAMILY ACFT FOR A ROUTINE FLT TO OUR HOME BASE AT MVY ARPT. EARLIER THAT MORNING I CONTACTED BRIDGEPORT FSS AND RECEIVED A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING. MY TOTAL TIME AS A PVT PLT IS ABOUT 635 HRS, WITHOUT PRIOR INCIDENT. THE ACFT, A METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED CESSNA 177B CARDINAL, AND MY PLT QUALIFICATIONS, COMPLIED WITH ALL APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND CURRENCY. AT THE TIME I APCHED THE ACFT I REMEMBER BEING SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE DUE TO POSSIBLE FORECASTED POSSIBLE SNOW SHOWERS LATER THAT DAY AT MY DEST (MVY), AND THE FACT I WAS A VFR ONLY PLT. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS COMPLAINING OF BEING COLD IN THE ACFT AND MY SEVEN MONTH PREGNANT WIFE HAD THE FLU AND WANTED TO RETURN HOME. THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS ONLY ABOUT 8 DEGS FAHRENHEIT. I PERFORMED THE NORMAL PRE-FLT MANEUVERS, HAD THE ENG PRE-HEATED BEFORE WE ARRIVED, ENTERED THE ACFT WITH MY FAMILY, SECURED SAME, AND PERFORMED ALL SAFETY CHKLIST ITEMS. AFTER I CALLED OUT 'CLR' I THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE IGNITION. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE PROP WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THIS SAME OCCURRENCE HAD HAPPENED TO ME ON OTHER EXTREMELY COLD MORNINGS AND I WAS ABLE TO ALLEVIATE THE PROB BY EXITING THE ACFT, FIRST SHUTTING OFF THE BATTERY AND IGNITION, AND MANUALLY ROTATING THE PROP PRIOR TO RE- ENGAGING THE IGNITION. THAT MORNING, AFTER EXPERIENCE OF COLD STARTING PROB, I EXITED THE ACFT AND MANUALLY ROTATED THE PROP WITH THE ATTEMPT TO LOOSEN UP THE OIL. THIS WAS THE STANDARD PROC THE CESSNA'S OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS FOR COLD STARTING. ON THE THIRD HALF TURN OF THE PROP THE ENG UNEXPECTANTLY STARTED. AS MY WIFE AND CHILD WERE SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE AIRPLANE, AND MY WIFE DID NOT HAVE BASIC AIRPLANE CTL KNOWLEDGE, I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENTER THE CABIN TO SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. THE AIRPLANE, AFTER THE ENG BEGAN, IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A FORWARD MOTION AND DUE TO THE SLIPPERY ICE CONDITIONS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO RE-ENTER THE CABIN. THE ACFT AND THE PROP, WITHIN SECONDS, COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER PARKED ACFT (A SENECA) CAUSING AN ABRUPT STOPPAGE OF THE MY PROP. NO HUMAN INJURIES OCCURRED, YET THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT. I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THIS ACCIDENT TO SEVERAL FACTORS: 1) THE VERY COLD OUTSIDE TEMP CREATED A HARD STARTING SITUATION REQUIRING ME TO USE ALTERNATE METHODS FOR PRE-STARTING, AS PER CESSNA RECOMMENDATION. 2) PRESSURE FROM MY FAMILY TO BEGIN THE FLT AND WARM THE ACFT WAS PRESENT. 3) THE WX CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST TO DETERIORATE WITHIN HRS AND I WAS UNDER PRESSURE TO GET THE ACFT GOING AND AIRBORNE. 4) I MAY NOT HAVE CHKED TO SEE WHETHER I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, MIXTURE CTL, AND/OR BATTERY SWITCH WHEN EXITING THE ACFT, OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, A HOT MAG SIT WAS PRESENT WHICH IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. 5) I DID NOT SECURE THE ACFT TO PREVENT ACFT MOVEMENT IN THE EVENT OF AN INADVERTENT ENGINE START. 6) I DID NOT TRAIN MY WIFE WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SHUT OFF AN AIRPLANE IN THE EVENT OF INADVERTENT START, NOR WAS THERE ANY TRAINED PERSON IN THE FRONT OF THE ACFT TO TERMINATE ANY INADVERTENT START. 7) I MAY HAVE BEEN OVERCONFIDENT FROM BEING INCIDENT FREE FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS AS A PLT. IN READING MY ACFT OWNER'S MANUAL CONCERNING 'COLD WX OP', I DID FOLLOW STANDARD CESSNA PROCEDURE FOR COLD STARTING. THE CESSNA OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS, 'PRIOR TO STARTING ON A COLD MORNING, IT IS ADVISABLE TO PULL THE PROP THROUGH SEVERAL TIMES BY HAND TO BREAK LOOSE OR LIMBER THE OIL, THUS CONSERVING BATTERY ENERGY'. THOUGH LOGIC WOULD DICTATE PRECAUTION, NOWHERE IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IS IT STATED TO FIRST SECURE THE ACFT, PULL OUT THE MIXTURE CTL, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND BATTERY SWITCHES, OR ANY OTHER PRECAUTIONS MENTIONED. THOUGH THE MANUAL NOTES THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INADVERTENT START, RECOMMENDATION FOR PREVENTING OR ALLEVIATING THIS SIT ARE NOT DISCUSSED. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) THE ACFT OWNER'S MANUAL, AND SUBSEQUENT PLT TRAINING, SHOULD PLACE EMPHASIS ON HOW TO AVOID AN INADVERTENT PROP START AND SPELL OUT PRE-CAUTIONS TO IMPLEMENT. NO WHERE IN MY PLT TRAINING, OR REFERENCE IN THE OFFICIAL ACFT OWNER'S MANUAL, HAS THE SUBJECT BEEN COVERED IN ANY DETAIL. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT CESSNA SEND OUT A NEWS BRIEF ADDRESSING THIS POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING SITUATION AS IT IS NOT ADEQUATELY DISCUSSED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE FAA COULD REQUIRE INSTRUCTORS TO INSTRUCT ALL PLTS THE PROPER AND SAFE METHOD FOR AN ACFT OWNER TO ROTATE THE PROP, OR DISCUSS WHETHER THIS PROC IS EVER REALLY NECESSARY OR SAFE? 2) THE SATE OF MIND OF A PLT IS ALSO CRUCIAL. DUE TO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND FAMILY PRESSURES, A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ANXIETY EXISTED CONTRIBUTING TO MY POOR JUDGEMENT I SHALL REMEMBER NOT TO ALLOW OUTSIDE PRESSURES TO CONTRIBUTE TO POOR JUDGEMENT. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A VERY SAFETY CONSCIENTIOUS PERSON.

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.