Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Sport / Recreational
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 3; Flight Crew Total 145; Flight Crew Type 35
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Excursion Ramp
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Aircraft
As I was prepping to go up to practice landings and do a short cross country of about 45 miles each way. I did a thorough preflight; pulled the plane out of the hangar; settled into the cockpit; went through the checklist and attempted to start the engine. The engine would turn to the top of the compression stroke and drop. I then shut everything down and exited the cockpit to turn the engine over by hand a couple times to limber things up. I propped countless planes working at an airport in high school; so I always treat the prop as though the mags are hot.As soon as I heard the mag click I knew something was not right. The engine started immediately. As I got out of the way I tried to figure a way to stop the plane. The left brake has been dragging lately; so the plane veered left as it accelerated. It crossed the taxiway and headed straight for the hangar across from mine.After everything stopped; I got into the cockpit and saw that the mag switch appeared to be in off position. I reached in to remove the key and it clicked as though it had apparently been stopped on top of a detent in the switch and had let the right mag remain hot. I have not attempted to duplicate the problem. I later remembered that back in my line boy days when I propped a lot of planes; the cardinal rule was; unless you are trying to start the plane; do not touch the prop unless the key is in your hand/pocket. If only I had remembered that rule earlier. My forgetting that old rule caused my plane and my ego to suffer badly.
Small aircraft pilot reported that a sudden engine start after rotating the propeller resulted in a loss of control and caused the aircraft to accelerate across a ramp and strike a hangar.