Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mansfield Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048
Saturday, June 7, 1997 10:24 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and passenger had flown to the airport earlier to have breakfast. While preparing for engine start the pilot noted that the engine was still '...hot.' He stated that the engine was difficult to start when warm and that it flooded quickly if not started right away. The pilot said the passenger hand-propped the airplane unsuccessfully 8 to 10 times and the engine flooded. The pilot stated that he turned the magneto switch to 'off,' pushed the throttle in, and instructed the passenger to pull the propeller through backwards 12 times to clear the flooded engine. The pilot stated: 'At this point a guy walks up and says, 'I'll take it from here.' The guy yelled, 'mags off!', and I yelled 'mags off, but wait a minute!' He was way too close to the spinner. He pulled it through, I heard this 'clunk', and he fell down out of my view. The airplane did not start. We got out of the plane and saw that it hit his left knee. A witness who observed the pilot and passenger as they attempted to handprop start the engine described their actions as 'extremely thorough and conscientious.' According to the witness, the other person came over. The pilot waved him away, but he pulled the propeller through..
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadequate procedure for hand-prop starting of the engine.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/7/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1024 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MANSFIELD |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02048 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MANSFIELD MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 1B9 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 122 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 40 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BOS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 20 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 1 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 999 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 7 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1155 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4832H |
| NTSB Number | NYC97LA106 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-17 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-17 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17-130 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1150 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 30 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 3400 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PETER A. FELLMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 246 ORLEANS ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | NORTH CHATHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02650 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 1B9 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CQX |
| Destination City | CHATAM |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |