Narrative:

I arrived at airport to update the database in my kln 90B GPS navigation unit. The purpose of my trip to the airport was only to update the database. I was not going to fly anywhere. To do that; I pulled the plane out of the hangar; hooked up the laptop to the GPS data port; and started the engine and avionics. Because the update was going to take some time; I decided to taxi the airplane to do a VOR check while I was waiting. Unfortunately; the update was still not complete and while I continued to wait; I noticed that the engine oil temperature gauge showed that the temperature was in the yellow range above the green range. I looked down at the laptop; which was on the passenger seat next to me; and the GPS unit to see if I could determine how much more time would be needed to finish the process. (During a database update; both the laptop and the GPS unit show approximately times until completion and they do not always agree.) I do not recall what those times were at this point; except that I recall that they were not the same and it seems that they were around 10-15 mins. As I was trying to determine whether or not the oil temperature was continuing to increase and how much more time was needed for the update; I realized the airplane was moving. I looked up and saw that the airplane was headed toward the hangar doors in front of me. I immediately reached to retard the throttle with my right hand and the brakes with my feet; but was not able to stop the plane before it hit the hangar door. In my haste to retard the throttle and use the brakes; I am afraid I may have exacerbated the situation by momentarily pushing the throttle in before getting my hand on it properly to retard it. (I fear this because I have the haunting recollection of hearing the engine RPM increase. Also; I realize now that my first movement should have been to pull the mixture or turn off the magnetos; rather than worry about the throttle.) I also recall the airplane moving to the right rather than straight ahead and believe that may have occurred because the nosewheel was turned to the right as a result of the right turn into position in front of my hangar and that my right foot made better contact with the rudder/brake pedal than my left foot did. When the airplane made contact with the door; both it and the propeller came to a stop. I shut off the mixture; turned off the magnetos and the master switch; and got out of the airplane. I then walked to the gate behind the row of hangars to get the number for the airport security officer and called to report the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY OVATION PLT IMPACTS A HANGAR DOOR.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT ARPT TO UPDATE THE DATABASE IN MY KLN 90B GPS NAV UNIT. THE PURPOSE OF MY TRIP TO THE ARPT WAS ONLY TO UPDATE THE DATABASE. I WAS NOT GOING TO FLY ANYWHERE. TO DO THAT; I PULLED THE PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR; HOOKED UP THE LAPTOP TO THE GPS DATA PORT; AND STARTED THE ENG AND AVIONICS. BECAUSE THE UPDATE WAS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME; I DECIDED TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE TO DO A VOR CHECK WHILE I WAS WAITING. UNFORTUNATELY; THE UPDATE WAS STILL NOT COMPLETE AND WHILE I CONTINUED TO WAIT; I NOTICED THAT THE ENG OIL TEMP GAUGE SHOWED THAT THE TEMP WAS IN THE YELLOW RANGE ABOVE THE GREEN RANGE. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE LAPTOP; WHICH WAS ON THE PAX SEAT NEXT TO ME; AND THE GPS UNIT TO SEE IF I COULD DETERMINE HOW MUCH MORE TIME WOULD BE NEEDED TO FINISH THE PROCESS. (DURING A DATABASE UPDATE; BOTH THE LAPTOP AND THE GPS UNIT SHOW APPROX TIMES UNTIL COMPLETION AND THEY DO NOT ALWAYS AGREE.) I DO NOT RECALL WHAT THOSE TIMES WERE AT THIS POINT; EXCEPT THAT I RECALL THAT THEY WERE NOT THE SAME AND IT SEEMS THAT THEY WERE AROUND 10-15 MINS. AS I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE OIL TEMP WAS CONTINUING TO INCREASE AND HOW MUCH MORE TIME WAS NEEDED FOR THE UPDATE; I REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVING. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADED TOWARD THE HANGAR DOORS IN FRONT OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY REACHED TO RETARD THE THROTTLE WITH MY R HAND AND THE BRAKES WITH MY FEET; BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE PLANE BEFORE IT HIT THE HANGAR DOOR. IN MY HASTE TO RETARD THE THROTTLE AND USE THE BRAKES; I AM AFRAID I MAY HAVE EXACERBATED THE SITUATION BY MOMENTARILY PUSHING THE THROTTLE IN BEFORE GETTING MY HAND ON IT PROPERLY TO RETARD IT. (I FEAR THIS BECAUSE I HAVE THE HAUNTING RECOLLECTION OF HEARING THE ENG RPM INCREASE. ALSO; I REALIZE NOW THAT MY FIRST MOVEMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO PULL THE MIXTURE OR TURN OFF THE MAGNETOS; RATHER THAN WORRY ABOUT THE THROTTLE.) I ALSO RECALL THE AIRPLANE MOVING TO THE R RATHER THAN STRAIGHT AHEAD AND BELIEVE THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE THE NOSEWHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE R AS A RESULT OF THE R TURN INTO POS IN FRONT OF MY HANGAR AND THAT MY R FOOT MADE BETTER CONTACT WITH THE RUDDER/BRAKE PEDAL THAN MY L FOOT DID. WHEN THE AIRPLANE MADE CONTACT WITH THE DOOR; BOTH IT AND THE PROP CAME TO A STOP. I SHUT OFF THE MIXTURE; TURNED OFF THE MAGNETOS AND THE MASTER SWITCH; AND GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. I THEN WALKED TO THE GATE BEHIND THE ROW OF HANGARS TO GET THE NUMBER FOR THE ARPT SECURITY OFFICER AND CALLED TO RPT THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.