Piper PA-28-235 accident near Radnor, Ohio, October 15, 2011
On October 15, 2011 at about 1:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N8746W, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing near Radnor, Ohio (Packer Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly secure the engine controls prior to manually rotating the propeller, which led to an inadvertent engine start and runaway airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2011 · about 1:05 pm local time
- Place
- Radnor, Ohio · Packer Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8746W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10286
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was unable to start the engine using the cockpit's engine controls and he suspected that the starter drive gear was not engaging the propeller ring gear. He exited the airplane to rotate the propeller by hand in order to manually engage the starter's drive gear. As he rotated the propeller, the engine started and the unoccupied airplane proceeded across the airport, colliding with a hangar. The pilot reported that after the accident he found the airplane's ignition key was selected to one magneto instead of being in the full-off position. He also stated that he had left the mixture and throttle levers in the full-forward position and that he had not used the parking brake. The airplane's wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage were substantially damaged.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground handling event during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 374 hours in all; 249 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,064 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Duewest Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 5E9 Radnor OH at 1:05 pm
- Destination: KDLZ Delaware OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 1:13 pm from KDLZ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.