Another passenger walks into a spinning prop

It seems this horrible type of accident happens every few years at a general aviation airport.
I don't understand why someone would leave the engine running in a small plane when a non-pilot passenger gets out. Especially at night.

This time it was a beautiful 23-year-old lady that walked into a spinning prop.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/05/fashion-magazine-editor-walks-into-plane-propeller/?test=latestnews

Fashion Magazine Editor Walks Into Plane Propeller.

The editor of a Dallas-area online fashion magazine has been severely hurt after walking into the propeller of a small airplane following a flight to view Christmas lights.

A spokeswoman at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas says 23-year-old Lauren Scruggs of Plano was in serious condition Monday. She's editor of LoLo Magazine.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the accident happened Saturday night at a private airport in McKinney.

Family spokeswoman Janee Harrell says Scruggs had just gotten off the private plane after a trip to see holiday lights. Harrell told The Associated Press that Scruggs lost her left hand in the accident, plus suffered head, brain and shoulder injuries.
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Toggie, Helicopters and airplanes have these things that go round and round and make them "go." Things like rotors and propellers.... As a kid (still fun) I recall winding up the blubber band in balsa wood airplanes and haphazardly getting my digits stuck in the wound-up prop before heaving it off the highest crest I could... ouch, dangit! Won't do that again.

Tragic + horrible. But more than that, unfathomable.

Careless? Negligent (who?)? Cell phone/device? Well, duh, too many manger scenes from above? Christmas lights? Pilot? Tunnel vision? Personal responsibility?

You said, "I don't understand why someone would leave the engine running in a small plane when a non-pilot passenger gets out. Especially at night."



I am not a pilot. I agree. Do you have further thoughts? Is this just carelessness? Is there something that can be done? Is it simply a common sense and "be aware of your surroundings" issue?

 

I'd fault the PIC for not giving explicit instructions on how to exit the A/C. Tragic.

 

Oh no, not again...that's very sad. I'm sorry to see that she lost a hand, but even more sorry that she has suffered brain injuries. That will be a long, hard road back.

On the rare occasion that I take passengers in high wing aircraft, I ALWAYS make sure to tell them that they are not to exit the aircraft until the key is out of ignition, and that, in the event of some emergency, they are to exit the plane at a 45 degree angle toward the back, walk all the way around the wing, and continue in a straight line until well clear of the airplane. My airplane is a low wing, so I usually tell 'em it's not a good idea to shut the door and jump forward off the wing

We're also supposed to brief passengers on proper seat belt usage, and for me that is a perfect time to cover exit procedures...but I wonder how many pilots even cover the seat belts. I think it all starts with us, the Pilots In Command. I brief passengers on what to expect in the event of an engine failure after takeoff and several other emergency procedures. Can't be too worried about scaring people as I doubt it's much fun having someone freaking out or frantically asking you what you're doing when you really need to concentrate.

 

Why would you have the engine running when a passenger gets out? Unbelievable.

 

Lots of things add up to disaster here...

It was a christmas light tour, so 1. it was dark 2. you've got passengers who have maybe never been in a small aircraft 3. exiting and entering back to back for hurried turnaround 4. Pax may have been consuming christmas cheer (my speculation only).

 

Cell phone distraction is a strong possibility as well.

Injuries are listed as left hand, shoulder, head and brain.

Strongly suggests the hand was near the shoulder and head.

 

I just heard about this tragic accident this morning and I was shocked beyond beliefe. From what I heard she exited and was going over to give the photographer a hug so this leads me to think the photog exited on the other side of the plane and instead of walking around the back he came around the front. I don't know about anyone else but I stay as far away from a prop as possible.

Even if the pilot instructed all passengers to stay away from the prop some people just don't frickin listen so if my scenario above is true they deserve some blame but... That goes back to the pilot for not taking control of his plane and passengers such as telling them "Nobody exits before me or without my instructions or before the prop has come to a complete stop, GET IT!!!"

 

^^ agree.

But IMO the pilot should just always shut down the engine when unloading passengers.

Planes are usually very easy to restart a few minutes later, if the idea is to go flying again soon after dropping off a passenger.

Counting on a passenger to remember the warning about the prop isn't worth the risk.

 

^^ Agreed aswell.

Since I almost killed myself on a motorcycle I'm so aware of safety concerns that sometimes I go over in my head the what could have been if I had not been there. I MADE my god daughters parents sell their coffee table that was just an serious accident waiting to happen and when it did (thank God it was not serious) I put my foot down as she was/is like my own child. We all slept alittle more peacefully from then on.

My heart goes out too the Scruggs family and for myself avoidable accidents are the most heartbreaking.

 

I was at KCEU this weekend and saw someone drop a passenger off in a M20, barely stopped, then immediately taxie and fly out. I was thinking, that prop is dangerous, but if you are careful, you should be just fine. Sure saves time for the pilot.

Then I saw this story today.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...propeller.html

This is horrific...I remember reading that Hemingway tried to walk into a propeller, and I have heard of accidents like this in the military. But how in the world did the pilot let this happen? How did she do this? Was she intoxicated or just not thinking? How very tragic, a lesson she will be reminded of on a daily bases.

It got me thinking, how often does this happen?

http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/SB10.pdf

The Facts

Over the ten-year period that ended in 2008,
350 aircraft accidents occurred in the ramp
area. While only a small percentage of these
accidents proved fatal, over 80% caused
substantial damage to other aircraft and
property on the ground. In 18% of the
accidents, death or serious injury resulted from
people walking into moving propellers. 62% of
all ramp accidents occurred during taxi: Most
involved collisions with other aircraft or
buildings. Ultimately, however, the most
common accident causes were carelessness
and/or a lack of awareness.

 

+1 Sad but true.

 

I know a CFI who taxied an airplane into a light pole. Tore up the leading edge of a composite aircraft, it was out of the school for months...very pricey. The second you become inattentive in any kind of vehicle is the second you get bitten.

 

At the risk of sounding horribly insensitive.........

Stop me if you have heard this one.....A blonde model gets out of an airplane and walks into a.....
Way to further the stereotype!

I do feel badly for the girl and the PIC should likely have shut down if there were not assistants on the ground to help guide passengers in and out. If the aircraft is running, you really should stay away from the sharp whirling blade thingy!

 

I could not have said it better myself.

 

Had a friend with a Cessna Skynight (320 - I think). Turbocharged twin.

He would, several times, leave his home field, fly across Denver and quickly pick me up at the field closer to my office, which I appreciated.

He told me that if he shut down the engines he had to wait 30 minutes to restart (turbocharged), so he would keep them turning or we'd have to just sit there.

He started telling me a week ahead of time to only approch from the rear of the plane, said it over and over and over.


I'm guessing that guy was doing back to back to back to back light tours and foolishly left it turning to save time.

 

Between a PIC who should have shut down the aircraft or at the very least thorougly briefed the pax and a pax who did not recognize the danger of a running engine and spinning prop(with or without a briefing), I wonder how this happened. What an unnecessary tragedy.

And hot restart can be a bit of a PITA, but so is a pre-flight.

 

A tragic reminder to all PIC;
no matter what your pax do, they're your responsibility.

As a sailor, it's the same for me, anyone on or near my boats becomes my responsibility.
And at night the stakes go way up for everyone.

Recently an Italian friends 33 yr.-old son (who suffered epileptic seizures) fell off the stern of their boat in the darkness, not missed for an hour, not found for 2 hours. Father not going to recover, either.

Be careful (and responsible) out there people....

 

I agree, with the engine still turning, how could he NOT??

I've exited a Skyhawk still running and I still remember the noise and the prop wind blowing, how could this girl not be cognizant of her surroundings and use a little common sense?
back of the plane - safe
prop end of the plane - bad!

 

Twice, I got out of a Chinook with the rotors turning.

It is a scAry experience.




Unfortunate tragic accident. The PIC should know better.

 

Here is an early accident report on ASN.

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=140242

Airport is KTKI (McKinney Airport, TX)

The plane involved is a 2011 Aviat Husky A-1C-180.
The reported tail number is N62WY.

Here is a pic of the plane (if the tail number is correct).
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Exactly what I said in the other thread in Rossa. (excuse me - Silver) Fundamental safety measures taught explicitly in any competent pilot education curriculum.

Plus - not just "give instructions" - keep everybody in the aircraft until it is shut down.

What do you think people call "clear" for before starting it? (or is that another anachronism)?

 

I'll never forget my first time in a small plane, the PIC warned me to stay away from the prop at all times, even when stopped ahd parked, because it may have "residual pressure in the cylinders and may spin one stroke at any time."

Maybe akin to red dye in the pool as a scare tactic, but it stuck with me and he got his point across.

 

There is an exit diagram for heli's too....I have seen it...

 

An ex-Alpine Aviation plane (from Wyoming)? They all have/had 'WY' N-numbers, IIRC.