Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40; Flight Crew Total 14000; Flight Crew Type 1200
Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Event / Encounter Aircraft; Ground Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Aircraft; Human Factors
I planned to reposition my 85-hp Piper Cub from its t-hangar at the south end of [the] airport to [another hangar] on the airport. I had installed a tie-down ring sunk in a concrete pad outside the t-hangar. After pre-flighting the Cub; I secured the tail using a heavy duty nylon rope and 2 carabiners (one attached to the tie-down ring; the other to the tailwheel assembly). I primed the engine; pulled the prop through several times; cracked the throttle and turned the magneto switch to 'both.' There was no one at the controls. The engine caught on the first pull and the Cub surged forward; the tail attach point failed and the carabiner and rope were torn loose. I ran back and grabbed the right wing strut; trying to reach the throttle; but the airplane pulled me forward out onto a large hard-surface ramp. I hung on; trying to reach the throttle. My weight on the strut caused the tailwheel to caster and the airplane rotated clockwise with me hanging on; trying to reach the throttle. As it picked up speed in the rotation I was losing my grip and; after several 360's; when I thought it was 'aimed' in a direction that would cause the least damage; I had to let go. By now I was being dragged over the asphalt on my heels (my shoes had come off) and my 'butt.' The airplane impacted the edge of a t-hangar and a Cessna 150 tied down in the grass next to the hangar. There was damage to the right wingtip of the Cessna and considerable damage to the Cub - left wing; fuselage; propeller and sudden engine stoppage.
J-3 Cub pilot reported the aircraft was damaged after breaking loose from its tie-downs following an empty-cockpit hand-prop start.