Piper PA-22-135 accident near Hebron, Nebraska, February 25, 2012
On February 25, 2012 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-135, registered N1213C, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Hebron, Nebraska (Hebron Municipal 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 did not properly secure the airplane prior to rotating the propeller by hand, resulting in inadvertent movement of the airplane and collision with a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2012 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hebron, Nebraska · Hebron Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N1213C · no longer on the register · serial 22-1021
- 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 could not start the airplane's engine using the electric starter, so he elected to turn the propeller by hand to start the engine (hand-propping). He stated that when the engine started, the airplane's parking brake did not hold and that the airplane began to roll. He was unable to open the door to reduce the throttle setting, and the airplane subsequently struck a building. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the fuselage structure near the firewall, and the engine mount structure.
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 collision during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 129 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,412 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2011
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HJH Hebron NE at 3:30 pm
- Destination: CNK Concordia KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
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.