On September 29, 1996, at 1215 central daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N7216Q, collided with a fence and a ditch while being hand propped by a private pilot prior to flight. The accident occurred at the Lake Lawn Airport, Delavan, Wisconsin. The pilot who was outside the airplane was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that the starter would not engage so he set the parking brake and hand propped the engine. The engine started and the airplane traveled across the ramp with no one at the controls. The airplane collided with a fence and a ditch. One witness reported, "It then stood on it's nose, then fell, left wing first and rolled up onto the shoulder of Highway 50 where it came to rest." The pilot reported that he did not use chocks under the wheels while hand propping the airplane.