AAIB investigation to Eurofox 912(S), G-CHUP, 4 January 2019
Aircraft nosed over during engine start, Nympsfield Airfield, Gloucestershire, 4 January 2019.
Summary:
The pilot attempted to start the aircraft for its first flight of the day, using the standard starting procedure with the throttle set slightly open, brakes on and the control column held back. After several unsuccessful attempts to start the engine, he pumped the throttle whilst turning the starter key whereupon the engine started and immediately ran at high power, causing the aircraft to pitch forward onto its nose, severely damaging the propeller.
The pilot stated that in his opinion the incident was caused by his incorrect use of the throttle during the engine start. He considered that it was a mistake to engage the starter whilst pumping the throttle and that he believed the throttle was almost fully open when the engine eventually started. He added that he was relatively inexperienced with fuel-injected engines and was more familiar with carburettor engines, where pumping the throttle can be used to prime the engine during starting. The aircraft’s engine manual recommends setting the throttle 1 to 2 cm open during starting, and the pilot stated that he has now highlighted this on his engine start checklist.
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