Accident Brief: Pilot Loses Control Of Zlin Z143 During Engine Start
A pilot in Chester, Connecticut, was injured when his Zlin Z143 had trouble starting
The pilot reported that, during the initial engine start, he "cranked the engine several times," but the engine would not start. He then pumped the throttle about six times, and in a "split second," the engine surged to full rpm. He added that, despite fully applying the brakes, the airplane crossed over a ridge and went down an embankment. Subsequently, the airplane entered a parking lot, the left wing struck a lamp post, the airplane spun left, and it impacted another lamp post.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause(s): The pilot's loss of airplane control during the engine start.
NOTE: The report republished here is from the NTSB and is printed verbatim and in its complete form.
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