Piper PA17 accident near Louisburg, North Carolina, April 11, 2010
On April 11, 2010 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA17, registered N4699H, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Louisburg, North Carolina (Franklin County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly secure the airplane before attempting to hand-prop the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2010 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Louisburg, North Carolina · Franklin County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA17 NO SERIES · all PA17s on the register
- Registration
- N4699H · no longer on the register · serial 17-97
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the airplane was tied down on the right side, and the right main landing gear wheel was chocked. After hand-propping the engine, the airplane's tie-down rope "came loose," and the airplane "veered" into an adjacent hangar. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by "using a better quality tie-down rope, having a second pilot in the airplane holding the brakes, or by having both wheels chocked instead of just one."
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
- Loss of control on ground during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 231 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 484 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 15, 2008
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,110 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHZ Louisburg NC
- Destination: LHZ Louisburg NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 pm from LHZ
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.