Pilot hand propped a single engine aircraft with a non pilot at the controls. Engine power increased...

Narrative:

The pilot was going to fly a 65 hp taildragger with no electrical system and no starting system. It requires the pilot to hand propeller the engine; and either requires the aircraft to be tied down; or requires the passenger to hold the brakes. The passenger of this flight was the pilot's wife; and while she was not a pilot; she had a lot of experience with complex farm machinery. The pilot instructed the passenger how to hold the (heel) brakes; and how to pull the throttle to idle after engine start. Both holding the brakes and pulling the throttle to idle had been practiced and witnessed by the pilot. The passenger was in the rear seat; with the seatbelt fastened. After hand propping the engine; the pilot noticed what sounded like an increase in RPM engine noise; and the aircraft started to move forward rapidly. The pilot got out of the way of the now moving aircraft around to the door; and 1/2 way inside the aircraft; getting the engine to idle while telling the passenger to push the brakes; when the aircraft struck a parked cessna 172. The aircraft hit nose-to-nose; and stopped nose-to-nose. No other parts of the aircraft collided. The aircraft had traveled approximately 25 yards across the tarmac. Both passenger and pilot were unhurt; and there was nobody else on the ramp; so there were no other injuries. The passenger was quite upset and has been unable to recollect what her actions had been. Obvious initial damage is the engine and propeller on both aircraft; and some cowling damage to my aircraft. The pilot incorrectly assumed that his wife would be able to hold the brakes after engine start; and placed too much confidence in the abilities of a non-pilot. Regardless if the passenger is a pilot or not; the person hand-starting a plane is counting on that person to react correctly; the brakes to function properly; and the throttle to be responsive. The very act of hand-propping an aircraft is dangerous; and this pilot will never again pull the propeller through without the aircraft being tied down. Even if the magnetos and fuel are off; accidents can and do still occur (based on similar stories from other pilots since the incident). Even 65 hp is enough to overpwr the person starting the engine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAND PROPPED A SINGLE ENG ACFT WITH A NON PILOT AT THE CTLS. ENG PWR INCREASED AFTER ENG START; AND THE ACFT ROLLED FORWARD; COLLIDING WITH A PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: THE PLT WAS GOING TO FLY A 65 HP TAILDRAGGER WITH NO ELECTRICAL SYS AND NO STARTING SYS. IT REQUIRES THE PLT TO HAND PROP THE ENG; AND EITHER REQUIRES THE ACFT TO BE TIED DOWN; OR REQUIRES THE PAX TO HOLD THE BRAKES. THE PAX OF THIS FLT WAS THE PLT'S WIFE; AND WHILE SHE WAS NOT A PLT; SHE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH COMPLEX FARM MACHINERY. THE PLT INSTRUCTED THE PAX HOW TO HOLD THE (HEEL) BRAKES; AND HOW TO PULL THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AFTER ENG START. BOTH HOLDING THE BRAKES AND PULLING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE HAD BEEN PRACTICED AND WITNESSED BY THE PLT. THE PAX WAS IN THE REAR SEAT; WITH THE SEATBELT FASTENED. AFTER HAND PROPPING THE ENG; THE PLT NOTICED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN INCREASE IN RPM ENG NOISE; AND THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD RAPIDLY. THE PLT GOT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE NOW MOVING ACFT AROUND TO THE DOOR; AND 1/2 WAY INSIDE THE ACFT; GETTING THE ENG TO IDLE WHILE TELLING THE PAX TO PUSH THE BRAKES; WHEN THE ACFT STRUCK A PARKED CESSNA 172. THE ACFT HIT NOSE-TO-NOSE; AND STOPPED NOSE-TO-NOSE. NO OTHER PARTS OF THE ACFT COLLIDED. THE ACFT HAD TRAVELED APPROX 25 YARDS ACROSS THE TARMAC. BOTH PAX AND PLT WERE UNHURT; AND THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE ON THE RAMP; SO THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES. THE PAX WAS QUITE UPSET AND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO RECOLLECT WHAT HER ACTIONS HAD BEEN. OBVIOUS INITIAL DAMAGE IS THE ENG AND PROP ON BOTH ACFT; AND SOME COWLING DAMAGE TO MY ACFT. THE PLT INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT HIS WIFE WOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD THE BRAKES AFTER ENG START; AND PLACED TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITIES OF A NON-PLT. REGARDLESS IF THE PAX IS A PLT OR NOT; THE PERSON HAND-STARTING A PLANE IS COUNTING ON THAT PERSON TO REACT CORRECTLY; THE BRAKES TO FUNCTION PROPERLY; AND THE THROTTLE TO BE RESPONSIVE. THE VERY ACT OF HAND-PROPPING AN ACFT IS DANGEROUS; AND THIS PLT WILL NEVER AGAIN PULL THE PROP THROUGH WITHOUT THE ACFT BEING TIED DOWN. EVEN IF THE MAGNETOS AND FUEL ARE OFF; ACCIDENTS CAN AND DO STILL OCCUR (BASED ON SIMILAR STORIES FROM OTHER PLTS SINCE THE INCIDENT). EVEN 65 HP IS ENOUGH TO OVERPWR THE PERSON STARTING THE ENG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attributes
ACN	784315
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 2911 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	784315
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Pilot hand propped a single engine aircraft with a non pilot at the controls. Engine power increased after engine start; and the aircraft rolled forward; colliding with a parked aircraft.