Lauren Scruggs, Model Hit By Propeller, Was Warned By Pilot

What kind of airplane was it? When we hot loaded the Cessna, it was hard to go towards the prop given the strut was in the way. I've seen the twotter hot loaded for skydiving.... and the prop is right there behind the door.
 
When we had a cargo door pop open on a C-172 with 2 pilots on board we still shut the aircraft down. We probably didn't need to but it seemed like best practice.
 
z987k said:
What kind of airplane was it? When we hot loaded the Cessna, it was hard to go towards the prop given the strut was in the way. I've seen the twotter hot loaded for skydiving.... and the prop is right there behind the door.
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I believe it was either a super cub, or a Husky
 
Reader Comment:

"It seems to me that if the propeller is turning then the centripetal force would draw you into the propeller. This is NOT in any way her fault. How many of all of you people out there really think about the propeller when you are de-planning? Most of propeller accidents (that I have heard of) happen by people working in the field. Most do not make it out alive."

Response:

"I'm not sure you understand centripetal force"
 
He should have turned the plane off. Really has no excuse.

On the other hand, I cannot comprehend a situation where I would walk into a prop. How can you be so stupid? Please do not stand up for her. You really must be lacking in common sense and overall SA to walk into a prop. Even if you have barely been around airplanes, you have to be pretty dumb to not realize there is a propeller spinning up there, even if you can't see it. Stand back for 2 seconds and you should realize you shouldn't be up there.
 
If the passenger was properly briefed, and the pilot issued the correct instructions regarding safety and deplaning, I'm not aware of regulation that prohibits loading/unloading with an engine running. If there is one, someone please point it out to me.... I don't know, but it seems that if 'reasonable' safety precautions were taken, and ignored.... 'careless and reckless' wasn't violated by anyone but the passenger.

We are not responsible for the actions of others. If she disregarded the appropriate safety warnings and incorrectly deplaned, the fault of the accident rests on her alone.
 
BrewMaster said:
He should have turned the plane off. Really has no excuse.

On the other hand, I cannot comprehend a situation where I would walk into a prop. How can you be so stupid? Please do not stand up for her. You really must be lacking in common sense and overall SA to walk into a prop. Even if you have barely been around airplanes, you have to be pretty dumb to not realize there is a propeller spinning up there, even if you can't see it. Stand back for 2 seconds and you should realize you shouldn't be up there.
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Unfortunately I think the term "common sense" is a lie, and way overused.

It's hard for me to think of a situation where I would walk into a turning propeller and, as a mechanic, I sometimes make my living in close proximity to them.

Back in my line service days I was training a new-hire and I was watching him marshal in a King Air. As soon as they stopped he was obviously headed straight toward the left main. I had not anticipated that he would do this, but I caught it pretty quickly in his body language. I gently but firmly grabbed his shirt collar and said "Hey, where ya goin?"

"To chock the main..." he said.

Constant vigilance, especially when flying with the uninitiated.
 
With a proper briefing, you are probably right, should have been able to leave the plane going, but if it was me I would have turned it off just in case.

With that said, again, I just don't see how you can walk into a prop without being insanely boneheaded. Maybe I'm being a jerk, but I just don't get it.
 
It does seem absolutley insane that someone could walk into a prop, but ya know she could have very well been out of her element all hyped after the plane tour. For all we know this could have been her very first time in an airplane. I can see it happening even though common sense should have probably stopped this from happening.
 
BrewMaster said:
With that said, again, I just don't see how you can walk into a prop without being insanely boneheaded. Maybe I'm being a jerk, but I just don't get it.
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With the amount of time I spend around turning props, it isn't something I would guess most of us think about. More of a reflex to always be aware what is in the path of the prop. Not everyone is as conditioned into it, easy to forget I guess..
 
drunkenbeagle said:
With the amount of time I spend around turning props, it isn't something I would guess most of us think about. More of a reflex to always be aware what is in the path of the prop. Not everyone is as conditioned into it, easy to forget I guess..
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I suppose.
 
BrewMaster said:
He should have turned the plane off. Really has no excuse.
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IF you are going to load and unload without shutting down, there needs to be someone to escort the passengers. It can be done safely, but you need to take some special precautions.

On the other hand, I cannot comprehend a situation where I would walk into a prop. How can you be so stupid? ....... You really must be lacking in common sense and overall SA to walk into a prop.
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It's a lot easier than you would think. At night propellers are completely invisible. The E-2/C-2s are considered the most dangerous airplanes on the carrier because so many highly trained crewmen have been killed by them.
 
There was an incident several years ago where a line guy marshaled a PC12 to a stop then walked straight into the prop and was killed. You'd think he would've known better but it was late at night and he just reflexively went to chock the nose wheel. It can happen to anybody I guess.
 
z987k said:
What kind of airplane was it? When we hot loaded the Cessna, it was hard to go towards the prop given the strut was in the way. I've seen the twotter hot loaded for skydiving.... and the prop is right there behind the door.
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Aviat Aircraft Inc., Husky A-1C, N62WY
 
milleR said:
There was an incident several years ago where a line guy marshaled a PC12 to a stop then walked straight into the prop and was killed. You'd think he would've known better but it was late at night and he just reflexively went to chock the nose wheel. It can happen to anybody I guess.
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A certain large regional airline which had, out of a certain hub, a predominately jet operation but occasionally saw a turboprop airplane, had one of these incidents in the late nineties (if memory serves). A ramper just flat forgot there was a running engine with prop there and was fatally injured as a result.

Head on a swivel, eyes moving fast--and you moving SLOWLY on the ramp unless there's a reason to hurry...
 
I think you can define reckless as something a prudent pilot would do - all they need to do is to put a pilot on the stand who states he would turn off the engine.
 
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