Pilotless Cessna takes flight
Moderator
The aircraft pictured wrecked appears to me to ba a Cessna 206, not a 172. (no copilot's door, but two back doors).The Cessna 206 was only ever equipped with the IO-520, or less commonly the IO-470 engine, both of which are injected, and use a starter drive, which employs a constricting clutch spring, not a "bendix". Though mechanically. it is very possible to hand start these engines, the fuel injection system makes it a miserable task. Often these aircraft are configured with a three blade prop, which can make hand propping half again more more dangerous. (A Lycoming with a bendix engaged after a failed starter satart attempt cannot be practically hand propped, and must have a starter start next).
The IO-520 engines can be challenging to start when hot, and it is common for an inexperienced pilot to run a battery flat trying. The fact that the pilot got it running by hand is a minor miracle. I have hand propped a modified IO-520, with a two blade prop, and a carb in place of the injection system, on a Cennsa 185, and that worked fine. I was at the controls of an injected one in a C185 amphib, which was started by hand, but I was quite surprised it worked, (and you still needed the electrics for the fuel pump to prime it).
Hand propping is common, and safe, when properly trained, and executed. The Cessna 206 was never intended for hand starting, and attempting it must have been an act of desperation. Like any accident, many things have to go wrong at the same time: Won't start normally, decided to try by hand, no qualified person at the controls, and not restrained during the start. If any one had gone differently, we would probably not be reading about this....
Oh well, our insurance premiums go up again...
Pilot DAR
The IO-520 engines can be challenging to start when hot, and it is common for an inexperienced pilot to run a battery flat trying. The fact that the pilot got it running by hand is a minor miracle. I have hand propped a modified IO-520, with a two blade prop, and a carb in place of the injection system, on a Cennsa 185, and that worked fine. I was at the controls of an injected one in a C185 amphib, which was started by hand, but I was quite surprised it worked, (and you still needed the electrics for the fuel pump to prime it).
Hand propping is common, and safe, when properly trained, and executed. The Cessna 206 was never intended for hand starting, and attempting it must have been an act of desperation. Like any accident, many things have to go wrong at the same time: Won't start normally, decided to try by hand, no qualified person at the controls, and not restrained during the start. If any one had gone differently, we would probably not be reading about this....
Oh well, our insurance premiums go up again...
Pilot DAR
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sale, Australia
Age: 80
Posts: 3,832
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Aircraft is a U206F. The missing engine, complete with prop, is resting on the ground at the apex of the fuselage and left wing trailing edge. Have pics but subject to copyright.
