An Adelaide pilot died when he hand cranked the propeller to start his aircraft and was knocked to the ground, a report has found.
Richard Woods, 62, was killed in September last year after moving his Cessna 172 onto the runway apron at Parafield Airport.
He had started the plane's engine by hand cranking the propeller and was then either struck by the plane or was killed when he fell and hit the ground as it taxied away without anyone at the controls, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said on Friday.
The ATSB investigation found that the battery in Mr Woods' plane had insufficient charge to start the engine and that the plane was not adequately secured during the hand start.
It said while hand swinging the propeller was permitted under aviation regulations, it should only be used when there were no other alternatives.
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"Hand swinging an aircraft propeller is recognised across the aviation industry as a hazardous procedure," the ATSB said in its final report.
Mr Woods avoided being hit by the propeller but was either struck by the plane or was fatally injured when he fell to the ground, possibly as he attempted to re-enter the cockpit.
As it started to taxi, the plane crashed into another light plane parked on the apron about 35 metres away.
The dead man's dog was also found unrestrained in the cockpit, prompting the ATSB to warn of the dangers of allowing animals to travel in such a manner.
"While it could not be determined in this instance if the presence of the dog had any impact on the accident, an unrestrained animal in the cockpit or cabin area of an aircraft increased the risk of inadvertent interference with aircraft control settings," it said.
