Plane crashed into building after throttle error

The pilot did not apply the brakes, the AAIB said

A grounded aircraft crashed into an aerodrome building because its throttle was "excessively open" before the engine started, a report has found.

The Piper Archer immediately ran at high power at Fowlmere airfield, near Duxford, Cambridgeshire, on 24 April, and did not stop until the impact.

The crash caused "significant" damage to the aircraft and the building, while the 72-year-old pilot suffered minor injuries to his forehead and an elbow.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the accident might have been caused by the pilot setting the throttle to one-quarter open, rather than one-quarter inch open, as required by the pre-start checklist.

The pilot might also have been too startled to stop the plane and have prioritised the steering of the aircraft over slowing it down, it added.

It said the case highlighted the importance of following checklists and "the need to anticipate an unexpected outcome" during routine tasks.