A Plane With Nobody Aboard Crashed In A Field Near Nipawin, Saskatchewan Canada, And Sure Enough, Nobody Was Hurt

We saw this headline from CBC news out of Canada that reminds us that when you hand prop an airplane, you had better know what you’re doing and follow appropriate procedures. The following is an abridged synopsis of the report:

An initial investigation revealed the pilot tried to “prop start” his plane by standing in front and spinning the propeller by hand. The engine turned over, but before he could get inside the Aeronca Chief two-seater, it began moving forward on the taxiway, gaining enough speed after about 40 feet to become airborne. A little later, the plane crashed.

Police said the pilot was left behind, embarrassed but uninjured. The Transportation Safety Board was notified but an official told CBC News that aside from noting the incident, it would not be pursuing the investigation any further.

We asked flight instructor Earl Downs, who claims to have hand propped thousands of airplanes, to provide us with a short review of safety issues associated with hand propping an engine.

Downs pointed out that hand propping a chief would be the normal way to start it, and it’s obvious that this accident was probably caused by not having the airplane secured. By secured, Downs means either someone in the cockpit who knows how to use the brakes, or at least have it secured by tiedowns and/or chocks.

He cautions that if a pilot does not have formal training on how to hand prop a specific make and model of aircraft, it’s a bad idea to even try it in the first place. Downs says that differences in the magneto installation can affect the success and safety of hand propping.

Another consideration, according to Downs, is whether the hand propping is taking place on an airplane that has no electrical system, or has an electrical system that won’t allow a normal start. His advice is that trying to hand prop an airplane because the battery is dead or the starter has failed is generally bad idea. This is because there are too many variables of how the ignition system operates during starting.

He also points out that some engines simply won’t start by hand propping no matter how hard you try. His bottom line advice is, if you have not been trained on how to hand prop a specific airplane, don’t try it.

(Photo from CBC News taken by the Nipawin Fire Department)

FMI: www.faasafety.gov