Narrative:

Handpropped aircraft without qualified pilot at the controls resulting in the propeller striking the pavement. A number of other factors contributed to the aircraft taxiing away from the area where it had just been refueled. Tiedown ropes available beneath the tail and under both wings but were not utilized. The throttle was advanced too much. I was later advised that the throttle should have been set at its lowest possible idle setting. 1 chock was in place and it was in front of the right front main wheel. 1 lineman was available and he was behind the right front wing holding the wing support. In short, what little restraint the aircraft had was all placed on the right front side of the craft. Immediately after the engine fired, the increase in RPM's lifted the tail and the aircraft began to move forward. The lineman let go of the right wing support. The propeller apparently struck the ground very near the starting point and it is suggested that this contributed to a clockwise turn of approximately 200 degrees. The craft taxied approximately 10-15 yards and then turned roughly 90 degrees more on a heading of approximately 290 degrees. It was suggested this was the result of WX-vaning as reported winds were westerly at about 12 KTS that day. As it was taxiing on this 290 degree heading I was able to jump inside the aircraft. I immediately applied hard brake pressure. This abruptly stopped the craft simultaneously nosing the craft over to the point that the propeller was again striking the pavement, and throwing me forward into the throttle control inadvertently increasing the engine speed. The increased engine speed further damaged the propeller. The engine stalled within a couple of seconds. The final resting position of the craft was with all the weight on the propeller and the lower part of the engine and cowling. Both main wheels and the tailwheel were all off the pavement. Considering all the worst case possibilities, the results of this incident were fortunate. There was no loss of life and no injuries. Damage at this time appears to be limited to the propeller, cowling, and engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AERONCA CHAMP TAXIES OUT OF CTL AT DKX AFTER PLT HAND PROPS THE ENG WITH NO ONE IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: HANDPROPPED ACFT WITHOUT QUALIFIED PLT AT THE CTLS RESULTING IN THE PROP STRIKING THE PAVEMENT. A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACFT TAXIING AWAY FROM THE AREA WHERE IT HAD JUST BEEN REFUELED. TIEDOWN ROPES AVAILABLE BENEATH THE TAIL AND UNDER BOTH WINGS BUT WERE NOT UTILIZED. THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED TOO MUCH. I WAS LATER ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SET AT ITS LOWEST POSSIBLE IDLE SETTING. 1 CHOCK WAS IN PLACE AND IT WAS IN FRONT OF THE R FRONT MAIN WHEEL. 1 LINEMAN WAS AVAILABLE AND HE WAS BEHIND THE R FRONT WING HOLDING THE WING SUPPORT. IN SHORT, WHAT LITTLE RESTRAINT THE ACFT HAD WAS ALL PLACED ON THE R FRONT SIDE OF THE CRAFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ENG FIRED, THE INCREASE IN RPM'S LIFTED THE TAIL AND THE ACFT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD. THE LINEMAN LET GO OF THE R WING SUPPORT. THE PROP APPARENTLY STRUCK THE GND VERY NEAR THE STARTING POINT AND IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THIS CONTRIBUTED TO A CLOCKWISE TURN OF APPROX 200 DEGS. THE CRAFT TAXIED APPROX 10-15 YARDS AND THEN TURNED ROUGHLY 90 DEGS MORE ON A HDG OF APPROX 290 DEGS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THIS WAS THE RESULT OF WX-VANING AS RPTED WINDS WERE WESTERLY AT ABOUT 12 KTS THAT DAY. AS IT WAS TAXIING ON THIS 290 DEG HDG I WAS ABLE TO JUMP INSIDE THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED HARD BRAKE PRESSURE. THIS ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE CRAFT SIMULTANEOUSLY NOSING THE CRAFT OVER TO THE POINT THAT THE PROP WAS AGAIN STRIKING THE PAVEMENT, AND THROWING ME FORWARD INTO THE THROTTLE CTL INADVERTENTLY INCREASING THE ENG SPD. THE INCREASED ENG SPD FURTHER DAMAGED THE PROP. THE ENG STALLED WITHIN A COUPLE OF SECONDS. THE FINAL RESTING POS OF THE CRAFT WAS WITH ALL THE WT ON THE PROP AND THE LOWER PART OF THE ENG AND COWLING. BOTH MAIN WHEELS AND THE TAILWHEEL WERE ALL OFF THE PAVEMENT. CONSIDERING ALL THE WORST CASE POSSIBILITIES, THE RESULTS OF THIS INCIDENT WERE FORTUNATE. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE AND NO INJURIES. DAMAGE AT THIS TIME APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE PROP, COWLING, AND ENG.

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.