Narrative:

On feb/tue/02, I planned to move a 1966 piper 235 from its current parked tie-down to a different one. I needed to taxi through a somewhat tight space with hangars on one side and parked aircraft on the other. I had flown the aircraft once for about 2 hours and have moved it many times in the past. When I started it up the plane raced forward at full throttle. My first instinct was to hold the brakes which was a futile effort. They were in poor shape and the aircraft was at full throttle. I pulled back the throttle and shut off the magnetos. The aircraft did not stop. I then pulled out the mixture but it was too late. I had hit a parked C152 with my wingtip. From engine start to impact was about 4 seconds. Some contributing factors were the aircraft not being lined up on the centerline to begin with when pulled out. It was a few ft to the right side (where the planes were parked). The fact that the aircraft did not shut off when the magnetos were turned off also cost me precious seconds. (Apparently there is an airworthiness directive on this for this particular aircraft that had not been complied with.) I have a lot of time in cherokee's but not this particular model. The last 2 yrs have been almost all bonanza and baron time and I was not as familiar with the panel of the piper 235. I think I was in a false comfort zone during start-up being that I had never experienced an event such as this one. The thought never occurred to me that the throttle would stick and I wasn't ready. It happened very fast and reaction time is critical. If I would have been more focused on what I was doing I might have been able to prevent it from getting away from me. I should have reached for the mixture immediately instead of fighting the brakes and turning off the magnetos.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT UPON ENG START-UP DISCOVERED THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK IN THE FULL OPEN POS, CAUSING ACFT TO MOVE UNCTLABLY FORWARD MAKING WING CONTACT WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: ON FEB/TUE/02, I PLANNED TO MOVE A 1966 PIPER 235 FROM ITS CURRENT PARKED TIE-DOWN TO A DIFFERENT ONE. I NEEDED TO TAXI THROUGH A SOMEWHAT TIGHT SPACE WITH HANGARS ON ONE SIDE AND PARKED ACFT ON THE OTHER. I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT ONCE FOR ABOUT 2 HRS AND HAVE MOVED IT MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. WHEN I STARTED IT UP THE PLANE RACED FORWARD AT FULL THROTTLE. MY FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO HOLD THE BRAKES WHICH WAS A FUTILE EFFORT. THEY WERE IN POOR SHAPE AND THE ACFT WAS AT FULL THROTTLE. I PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE AND SHUT OFF THE MAGNETOS. THE ACFT DID NOT STOP. I THEN PULLED OUT THE MIXTURE BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. I HAD HIT A PARKED C152 WITH MY WINGTIP. FROM ENG START TO IMPACT WAS ABOUT 4 SECONDS. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE ACFT NOT BEING LINED UP ON THE CTRLINE TO BEGIN WITH WHEN PULLED OUT. IT WAS A FEW FT TO THE R SIDE (WHERE THE PLANES WERE PARKED). THE FACT THAT THE ACFT DID NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE MAGNETOS WERE TURNED OFF ALSO COST ME PRECIOUS SECONDS. (APPARENTLY THERE IS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THIS FOR THIS PARTICULAR ACFT THAT HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH.) I HAVE A LOT OF TIME IN CHEROKEE'S BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. THE LAST 2 YRS HAVE BEEN ALMOST ALL BONANZA AND BARON TIME AND I WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE PANEL OF THE PIPER 235. I THINK I WAS IN A FALSE COMFORT ZONE DURING START-UP BEING THAT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED AN EVENT SUCH AS THIS ONE. THE THOUGHT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE THROTTLE WOULD STICK AND I WASN'T READY. IT HAPPENED VERY FAST AND REACTION TIME IS CRITICAL. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT I WAS DOING I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING AWAY FROM ME. I SHOULD HAVE REACHED FOR THE MIXTURE IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF FIGHTING THE BRAKES AND TURNING OFF THE MAGNETOS.

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.