Navion rangemaster pilot had the pilot seat slip back after engine start and lost aircraft control. ...

Attributes
ACN	590289
Time
Date	200308
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfb.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Rangemaster (Navion)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	590289
Person 2
Function	observation : observer other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle ground encounters other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Mr X is the gentleman who was selling the plane -- I was buying. The aircraft had been recently run and was still hot. Mr X reminded me that it would be a 'hot start' which he had gone over with in detail the evening before. I entered the aircraft and moved the seat forward. I adjusted the seat and thought that it latched. I had the propeller control fully forward, the throttle fully forward and the mixture fully aft or full lean. I put the battery and generator switches on, activated the fuel pump, checked fuel pressure and cranked the engine. It did not start. After another attempt or two, the engine started. As I moved the mixture forward (to full rich) and the engine gained RPM, the aircraft strained slightly against the brakes. While I was in the process of pulling the throttle aft (idle) and applying additional foot pressure to the brakes, the seat suddenly slid aft. The aircraft began rolling forward and I was in a position where I could not reach the foot pedals or any of the engine controls. I tried pulling myself forward in an attempt to apply additional brake pressure and to grasp the throttle control and or the mixture control. I kept trying to grab the throttle and or mixture but could not get sufficient purchase. I could not reach the brakes. The plane continued forward eventually coming to rest against a trailer and a building. I learned later that the right tip tank had made contact with the right wing of parked piper cherokee.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NAVION RANGEMASTER PLT HAD THE PLT SEAT SLIP BACK AFTER ENG START AND LOST ACFT CTL. IT HIT A PARKED ACFT, TRAILER, AND A BUILDING.

Narrative: MR X IS THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS SELLING THE PLANE -- I WAS BUYING. THE ACFT HAD BEEN RECENTLY RUN AND WAS STILL HOT. MR X REMINDED ME THAT IT WOULD BE A 'HOT START' WHICH HE HAD GONE OVER WITH IN DETAIL THE EVENING BEFORE. I ENTERED THE ACFT AND MOVED THE SEAT FORWARD. I ADJUSTED THE SEAT AND THOUGHT THAT IT LATCHED. I HAD THE PROP CTL FULLY FORWARD, THE THROTTLE FULLY FORWARD AND THE MIXTURE FULLY AFT OR FULL LEAN. I PUT THE BATTERY AND GENERATOR SWITCHES ON, ACTIVATED THE FUEL PUMP, CHKED FUEL PRESSURE AND CRANKED THE ENG. IT DID NOT START. AFTER ANOTHER ATTEMPT OR TWO, THE ENG STARTED. AS I MOVED THE MIXTURE FORWARD (TO FULL RICH) AND THE ENG GAINED RPM, THE ACFT STRAINED SLIGHTLY AGAINST THE BRAKES. WHILE I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING THE THROTTLE AFT (IDLE) AND APPLYING ADDITIONAL FOOT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE SEAT SUDDENLY SLID AFT. THE ACFT BEGAN ROLLING FORWARD AND I WAS IN A POS WHERE I COULD NOT REACH THE FOOT PEDALS OR ANY OF THE ENG CTLS. I TRIED PULLING MYSELF FORWARD IN AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY ADDITIONAL BRAKE PRESSURE AND TO GRASP THE THROTTLE CTL AND OR THE MIXTURE CTL. I KEPT TRYING TO GRAB THE THROTTLE AND OR MIXTURE BUT COULD NOT GET SUFFICIENT PURCHASE. I COULD NOT REACH THE BRAKES. THE PLANE CONTINUED FORWARD EVENTUALLY COMING TO REST AGAINST A TRAILER AND A BUILDING. I LEARNED LATER THAT THE R TIP TANK HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE R WING OF PARKED PIPER CHEROKEE.

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.

Navion rangemaster pilot had the pilot seat slip back after engine start and lost aircraft control. It hit a parked aircraft, trailer, and a building.