Aero Commander 100 Series
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 3025; Flight Crew Type 800
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Ground Excursion Ramp; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
Wheel chocked; non-pilot PAX in right seat instructed in fuel and mixture retardation; and brake usage. Hand-propped plane and RPM sufficient for plane to jump chock and depart ramp. Hand-propping pilot unable to gain entry into plane; plane took flight eventually; hand-propping pilot let go of strut and abandoned hope of entry into plane falling to ground. Plane got out of ground effect; nosed down; and struck dirt berm; flipping plane onto its back. PAX suffered multiple facial fractures. Not moving the plane to a place where tail could be tied down; and not tying the tail contributed to the accident. Reliance on non-pilot PAX to operate brake; retard throttle or mixture or turn the key off in a panic situation contributed to the accident. I will certainly never hand-prop another plane without taking more precautions (tying the tail) and giving more consideration of worst-case scenarios such as PAX panic factor impeding their action.
Commander 100 pilot reports briefing a non-pilot passenger on throttle; mixture and brake usage so the pilot can hand prop the engine. The engine is started and the aircraft jumps the chocks; the passenger freezes and the aircraft becomes airborne before crashing back to earth causing damage to the aircraft and injuries to the occupant.