Click on the above link (or copy it to your
browser) to see the photos of a guy here at the Venice Airport who had just
filled his recently purchased, $16,000 Piper Cherokee, at the self serve
pump at the airport. He could not start the A/C normally due to some
problem with the starter, so had to hand prop the engine. He neglected
to set the parking brake, and had the throttle set to 3/4, so guess what
happened? The plane took off....right towards the self-serve
pumps. Luckily the steel and concrete barriers were there, which the
prop struck, immediately tearing loose from the crankshaft. You can see
the damage that was done to the aircraft, and in the last two photo's, you can
see the 102 yard flightpath of the spinner and prop, and where it came to rest
on top of the hangar. Chalk that one up to experience. By the way,
no insurance on the A/C.