The pilot told investigators that after he started the Beech F33A’s engine at the airport in Tahlequa, Oklahoma, he realized that the wheel chocks were still in place on the nose landing gear tire.
He set the parking brake and exited the airplane with the engine still running.
As he removed the chocks, they inadvertently hit the propeller and pulled his arm into the propeller arc. The pilot sustained a serious injury to his right arm.
The airplane sustained minor damage to the propeller.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to remove the wheel chocks before engine start which resulted in the inadvertent contact with the propeller while the engine was running.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This May 2023 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I’ll just day that I hope the poor guy recovers from his injury; the rest I’ll leave up to other commenters, but good grief, what a poor decision.
oops…I meant “I’ll just SAY”…we need an ‘edit’ button.
Oh for heaven’s sakes! Fly long enough, and anyone can forget to remove chocks. But shut down the engine! Whether it’s main gear or nose gear, but especially nose gear, shut down the engine!
My most embarrassing “forgot the chocks” event was on a 135 charter flight to return home. I loaded my passengers in the Archer, started the engine, released the brakes, and of course, the airplane didn’t move. So I had to sheepishly shut off the engine, ask the passenger on the front seat to exit, while I got out and pulled the chocks from the nose gear. Then we got back in, and I latched the door, started the engine, and we returned to our home base. The positive of it all, though, was that that passenger asked how she could start flight lessons! My embarrassing forgetfulness didn’t dissuade her at all.
Here’s an accident that never had to happen, caused by an inadequate preflight, exacerbated by a follow-on stupid decision!