Sacramento, CA, USA
N67975
Cessna 152
The airplane collided with two parked fuel trucks while taxiing for takeoff. The pilot stated that she started the airplane after fueling it and was holding the brakes. She felt like she needed to move her seat forward slightly and grabbed the dash with one hand while releasing the seat lock with the other. The seat then slid all the way back on the tracks and her feet were now off the pedals. The airplane began to move forward and she could not reach the pedals and her passenger, who had no prior flight experience, tried to push on the bottoms of the pedals instead of the tops to activate the brakes. Before the pilot could take further remedial actions, the airplane taxied into two parked fuel trucks.
On May 8, 2002, about 1415 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N67975, collided with two parked fuel trucks while taxiing for takeoff at the Sacramento Executive Airport, Sacramento, California. Executive Flyers, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and rented by the pilot. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight and no flight plan had been filed. In a written statement given by the pilot, she stated that she started the airplane after fueling it and was holding the brakes. She felt like she needed to move her seat forward slightly and grabbed the dash with one hand while releasing the seat lock with the other. The seat then slid all the way back on the tracks and her feet were now off the pedals. The airplane began to move forward and she could not reach the pedals and her passenger, who had no prior flight experience, tried to push on the bottoms of the pedals instead of the tops to activate the brakes. Before the pilot could take further remedial actions, the airplane taxied into two parked fuel trucks.
Failure of the pilot to ensure the seat was set properly prior to engine start, and not using the parking brake when adjustment of seat was necessary, which resulted in the inadvertent deactivation of the brakes and subsequent collision with the fuel trucks.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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