Wonder How That Claim Worked Out

One evening in 2001, a doctor in Australia, who was also a pilot, prepared to make a night flight over water. Unfortunately, when he attempted to start his plane, he discovered it had a dead battery.

Undaunted, the doctor decided to to things the old-fashioned way and start the engine by hand-turning the propeller. Unfortunately, it worked.

While the doctor avoided being sliced and diced, he now faced the dilemma of realizing he had managed to start the plane without the handbrake being engaged. For the plane's part, it dutifully started taxying down the runway...

... with the pilot hanging on to the tail for dear life.

The plane, left to its own devices, merrily chugged down the runway blissfully unaware of anyone or anything in its path. Thankfully, there was no one else around.

However, there was another plane in the area...



His insurer was out around $1.5 million.

The doctor later went to court, claiming that the handbrake was indeed engaged at the time he started the plane.

No word on how that came out.