Rockwell 112A accident near Norwood, Massachusetts, December 24, 2000
On December 24, 2000 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Rockwell 112A, registered N1307J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Norwood, Massachusetts (Norwood 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 improper starting procedure, which resulted in an on-ground collision with a parked aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 2000 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Norwood, Massachusetts · Norwood Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 112A
- Registration
- N1307J · no longer on the register · serial 307
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the pilot attempted to start the airplane's engine for flight, the starter gear did not engage. The pilot turned off the master switch and ignition key, and exited the airplane in an attempt to start the airplane by rotating the propeller. As the pilot rotated the propeller "a quarter turn," the engine started, and the airplane began to roll forward. The pilot ducked to his right and the airplane passed over him. The airplane continued forward and impacted the starboard fuel tip tank of a parked airplane, rotated to the right and impacted the parked airplane again before coming to rest. The pilot stated to officials that he had been "hand-propping" the airplane, when the engine suddenly started, and he did not set the parking brake, reduce the throttle, retard the fuel mixture to full lean, or tie the airplane down prior to attempting to rotate the propeller by hand.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 535 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,764 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2000; 280 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OWD Norwood MA
- Destination: BID Block Island RI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from OWD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.