Narrative:

Planned to fly to a morning fly-in breakfast. Rolled aircraft out of hangar onto grass (a grass field, no pavement) at night. Aircraft would not start by use of internal starter because of weak battery. Decided to hand-propeller it to start. I've hand propped it a few times (and received instruction on it by my experienced partner in the aircraft) but only once before by myself. Because of the early hour, no one else was around to help. After several attempts to start it, the engine caught and began to rev up. As I walked around the wingstrut, the propeller blast caused the door to slam shut and as I opened the door to reduce power on the throttle, the aircraft accelerated away. I tried in vain to hold onto the door, but I slipped on the dew soaked grass and fell. The aircraft continued away and turned 270 degrees before stopping after colliding with my hangar. The engine stopped as the propeller contacted the metal and wood structure. The left wingtip was crushed by the impact with the corner of the hangar and the right wing fabric was pushed back in a 1 ft area where the right wing had hit a post supporting the hangar. The cause of this is easily the poor judgement I had shown by trying to attempt this whole flight. I should have waited until later and got someone to help me. I should have also chocked the wheels. If possible, I should have tied the tail down. I also should have carefully checked the throttle position, as I had, in my attempt to hasten a start, opened it more than necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAND PROPPING ACFT HAS RUNAWAY ACFT WHICH HITS HANGAR.

Narrative: PLANNED TO FLY TO A MORNING FLY-IN BREAKFAST. ROLLED ACFT OUT OF HANGAR ONTO GRASS (A GRASS FIELD, NO PAVEMENT) AT NIGHT. ACFT WOULD NOT START BY USE OF INTERNAL STARTER BECAUSE OF WEAK BATTERY. DECIDED TO HAND-PROP IT TO START. I'VE HAND PROPPED IT A FEW TIMES (AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTION ON IT BY MY EXPERIENCED PARTNER IN THE ACFT) BUT ONLY ONCE BEFORE BY MYSELF. BECAUSE OF THE EARLY HR, NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND TO HELP. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START IT, THE ENG CAUGHT AND BEGAN TO REV UP. AS I WALKED AROUND THE WINGSTRUT, THE PROP BLAST CAUSED THE DOOR TO SLAM SHUT AND AS I OPENED THE DOOR TO REDUCE PWR ON THE THROTTLE, THE ACFT ACCELERATED AWAY. I TRIED IN VAIN TO HOLD ONTO THE DOOR, BUT I SLIPPED ON THE DEW SOAKED GRASS AND FELL. THE ACFT CONTINUED AWAY AND TURNED 270 DEGS BEFORE STOPPING AFTER COLLIDING WITH MY HANGAR. THE ENG STOPPED AS THE PROP CONTACTED THE METAL AND WOOD STRUCTURE. THE L WINGTIP WAS CRUSHED BY THE IMPACT WITH THE CORNER OF THE HANGAR AND THE R WING FABRIC WAS PUSHED BACK IN A 1 FT AREA WHERE THE R WING HAD HIT A POST SUPPORTING THE HANGAR. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS EASILY THE POOR JUDGEMENT I HAD SHOWN BY TRYING TO ATTEMPT THIS WHOLE FLT. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL LATER AND GOT SOMEONE TO HELP ME. I SHOULD HAVE ALSO CHOCKED THE WHEELS. IF POSSIBLE, I SHOULD HAVE TIED THE TAIL DOWN. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE CAREFULLY CHKED THE THROTTLE POS, AS I HAD, IN MY ATTEMPT TO HASTEN A START, OPENED IT MORE THAN NECESSARY.

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.