https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/woman-dies-after-backing-into-plane-propeller-while-taking-picture-at-kansas-airfield/ar-AA1t4XAB?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=03bd31f90a2743dabf822eb2dfac09cf&ei=38

Make sure you smile for the camera!🤕

Disaster when you think about it.

Martin Myrtle, the company owner, went on to say that Gallagher was beautiful "inside and out"
 

Was this a post propeller-strike observation? (sorry, couldn’t help myself 🤯)maybe he could have worded it a little better 🤔

 

Edited October 28, 20241 yr by Mike A
extra text

Yep disaster, she stepped out of the plane and was between the door and propeller taking photos of the next jumpers boarding, stepped back to get a better shot. Never heard of anything like this before

Something like this happened to a young woman in the Netherlands, a very long time ago, must be decades by now, but i never forgot it.

She passed for her pilot license in a small plane, a Cessna 172 i believe it was. Overwhelmed by joy she stepped out the plane and ran towards her parents waiting for her....straight into the propeller. The parents saw it happen, imagine that! Horrible!

It is so easy for people to lose their situational awareness.  Spinning propellers and turbines are dangerous and demand vigilance.  One careless moment and it's all over.  So sad.

Not sure why the operator didn’t shut the engine down when taking the next jumpers, I think boarding any aircraft with the engine(s) off would be standard practice in a civilian operation 

19 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

Not sure why the operator didn’t shut the engine down when taking the next jumpers

Maybe the turnaround time was short?

19 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

I think boarding any aircraft with the engine(s) off would be standard practice in a civilian operation 

Not precisely. I have 2 counterexamples:

1) Last year I went to a airshow close to Córdoba. They were offering some sightseeing flights, which took around 20 minutes. Flights were in Piper Arrow and C182. Obviously I took a ride with my GF. Turnaround times were like 1-2 minutes only. No way to shut down the engine. I'm not sure if this was legal but, with all the exposure there, I'm sure it was. There were people guiding you to the plane, and the door was actually blocking access to the prop.

2) Any ATR with engine 2 in Hotel mode?

A horrible accident, to be sure. Having said that, if the Skydiving company instructed passengers in the Safety brief to egress the Aircraft in a specific direction upon Landing, that's one thing. But is it really necessary to have the Engine running when loading Jumpers on the Tarmac? I understand if it's a Turboprop like a PT6 in order to avoid a 'hot start' situation, but if the jump plane is a 206 or similar aircraft, couldn't you just shut the Engine off for the few minutes it takes to Load?

 Like I said... a horrible accident. ☹️

Edited October 30, 20241 yr by ViperPilot

8 hours ago, Luis Hernandez said:

1) Last year I went to a airshow close to Córdoba. They were offering some sightseeing flights, which took around 20 minutes. Flights were in Piper Arrow and C182. Obviously I took a ride with my GF. Turnaround times were like 1-2 minutes only. No way to shut down the engine. I'm not sure if this was legal but, with all the exposure there, I'm sure it was. There were people guiding you to the plane, and the door was actually blocking access to the prop.

Yes Airshows can be the wild west sometimes so not a good example, but to be honest it doesn't take much to stop and start a Piper or Cessna engine to ensure the safety of those around you. I trained in the Cessna's in the 90s and even if you put the key in the ignition, and it was in the off position, and you did your walkaround, that was a write up, key must be placed on the seat when doing a walkaround, that is how vigilant that culture should be when people are in proximity of the propeller, someone comes close to your prop just shut it down, not that hard.

That pilot has to live with the death of that young woman for the rest of his life, that is a situation no one wants to be in

8 hours ago, Luis Hernandez said:

2) Any ATR with engine 2 in Hotel mode?

Yep this is not exclusive to the ATR it can be any twin turboprop or even jet with an INOP APU. Mostly happens in small regional airports with no power cart or compressed air, but this is very rare. When this happens they are running just the one engine opposite to the side that passengers and cargo is being loaded therefore no one is at any risk. This is procedural and safety is taken into account.

Edited October 30, 20241 yr by Matthew Kane

On 10/29/2024 at 2:00 AM, Wildblue said:

Something like this happened to a young woman in the Netherlands, a very long time ago, must be decades by now, but i never forgot it.

She passed for her pilot license in a small plane, a Cessna 172 i believe it was. Overwhelmed by joy she stepped out the plane and ran towards her parents waiting for her....straight into the propeller. The parents saw it happen, imagine that! Horrible!

OMG that is horrible!!!!!!!!!!

On 10/29/2024 at 1:57 PM, Matthew Kane said:

Not sure why the operator didn’t shut the engine down when taking the next jumpers, I think boarding any aircraft with the engine(s) off would be standard practice in a civilian operation 

I expect they were loading another group to go up.  I know when I went for a ride on a B-25, there were two groups going for rides, I was in the first group.  During the pre-flight briefing, we were told about the second group and that when we deplaned, to walk to the tail of the B-25, then turn 90 degrees and walk to the edge of the taxiway as the engines would not be stopped.  We all did as we were instructed and it was a fantastic flight experience.

8 hours ago, stans said:

I expect they were loading another group to go up.  I know when I went for a ride on a B-25, there were two groups going for rides, I was in the first group.  During the pre-flight briefing, we were told about the second group and that when we deplaned, to walk to the tail of the B-25, then turn 90 degrees and walk to the edge of the taxiway as the engines would not be stopped.  We all did as we were instructed and it was a fantastic flight experience.

This is why I said "engine(s) off would be standard practice in a civilian operation" 

A B-25 is Vintage Military and gets a grandfather clause, allthough it is now a civilian operator that aircraft is very difficult to stop/start for loading, and also excess wear and tear on vintage engines. Any modern aircraft can be stop/start for boarding, having a photographer taking photos outside an aircraft with a running prop is not something that should ever happen.

Like I said in flight school even having a key in the ignition in the off position and doing a walk around was a write up, if people are fueling, doing checks, loading, any activity outside the aircraft the key is on the seat, or visible on top of the dashboard. These are rules for a reason

Edited October 31, 20241 yr by Matthew Kane

Disregard hit the wrong button

Edited October 31, 20241 yr by Matthew Kane

On 10/31/2024 at 1:49 PM, Matthew Kane said:

having a key in the ignition in the off position and doing a walk around was a write up

Years ago, when I took my first "driving test" I waited until the examiner had gotten seated and waited patiently...

After a few moments had passed, he asked me why I hadn't started the car. I replied that until he had his seat belt fastened, I wouldn't even put the key in the car's ignition!

He looked at me and said, "Forget about the driving test, you passed!"  😉