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Plane Takes Off Without Pilot At Centennial
Pilot Started Engine Outside Plane
POSTED: 11:28 am MDT May 17, 2010
UPDATED: 6:12 pm MDT May 17, 2010
CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- A pilot at Centennial airport did not have a good day Monday.According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Richard Steinmier, 73, had trouble getting the engine on his Cessna 182 Skylane II to start from the cockpit because the plane's battery was dead. Steinmier then got out of the aircraft and attempted to start the engine manually by turning the propeller.It worked. Too well.
The plane taxied on its own, crossing an active runway and hitting several runway signs before flipping over.In all, the plane traveled about 1,000 feet on its own.Steinmier sustained minor injuries as he attempted to climb into the plane while it was moving. He was treated and released at the scene.The $80,000 Cessna, built in 1978, was a total loss.One of the runways at Centennial was closed until emergency workers could remove the plane.The accident is currently being investigated by airport authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board.
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