LEESBURG, FL, USA
N5797R
Cessna 172G
When the pilot attempted to taxi for takeoff, the aircraft would not move. He left the engine running and exited the aircraft to see if he had left the wheel chocks in place. As he exited the aircraft it began to move. He could not get back in the aircraft due to the propeller blast. The aircraft taxied uncontrolled and made a 360 degree turn. The aircraft then taxied across a taxiway and field and collided with a fence.
On September 1, 1998, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G, N5797R, registered to an individual, collided with a fence at Leesburg Municipal Airport, Leesburg, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that when he attempted to begin taxiing for takeoff, the aircraft would not move. He left the engine running and exited the aircraft to see if he had left the wheel chocks in place. As he exited the aircraft it began to move. The wind from the propeller prevented him from getting back in the aircraft. The aircraft taxied uncontrolled and made a 360-degree turn. The aircraft then taxied across a taxiway into a field and collided with a fence.
The pilot's decision to leave the engine running with no one at the controls as he exited the aircraft to check for wheel chocks in place. This resulted in the aircraft moving uncontrolled and eventually colliding with a fence.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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