Accidentally Started Engine By Grabbing Prop

Police in The Villages, FL made a gruesome discovery Thursday night when they answered a call to Leesburg Regional Airport (LEE). They found the body of 73-year-old Rudi Lavazoli on the ground, near the nose of his 1969 Siai-Marchetti airplane, with severe lacerations to the right side of his head and upper body.

Leesburg police Captain Steve Rockefeller told the Village Daily Sun Lavazoli's body was discovered by John Francis, who owns one of the hangars at the airport. Investigators believe Lavazoli accidentally pulled on the propeller of his aircraft as he was working on the landing gear -- just enough to start the motor.

"It's not one of those planes like in the movies, where you really had to crank it to get it started," Rockefeller said. "It's of the type where it doesn't take much force to start the propeller."

Lavazoli had reportedly been working on his airplane, a Siai-Marchetti S.205/22R (file photo of type, above), in hopes of having the aircraft ready by summer. Airport manager Charlie Weller told the Orlando Sentinel Lavazoli had landed the aircraft gear-up over a year ago, and had it at the airport to be repainted.

The police report on the matter stated the spinning propeller also damaged another aircraft in the hangar. While the investigation remains open, Capt. Rockefeller told the Daily Sun "everything points to it being an accident."

"Nobody knows what happened," Weller said. "This is very unusual."

Investigators are looking into the possibility the aircraft's ignition may have been switched on at the time of the accident. There is also the possibility one or both of the magnetos may not have been properly grounded, leaving an open connection between the mag and the spark plug even if the ignition was off.

FMI: www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=356