What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was dispatched to the PIC at 2PM local time. The PIC talked his roommate into flying with him on a “solo” x-country flight. At the destination, visalia muni, visalia, CA, the two swapped seats at the pic’s insistence, as the PIC wanted to experience flying from the right seat as an instructor. Upon returning to the originating airport, Castle, Merced, CA, the PIC in the right seat saw a fuel truck approaching so stopped the airplane short of its normal parking spot, and told his roommate to taxi the plane to parking. He then exited the airplane so the fuel truck driver wouldn’t catch the two of them in the plane at the same time. He then ran quickly forward into the turning propeller causing his death. He may not have seen the propeller as it was dark by the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE PIC AT 2PM LOCAL TIME. THE PIC TALKED HIS ROOMMATE INTO FLYING WITH HIM ON A “SOLO” X-COUNTRY FLIGHT. AT THE DESTINATION, VISALIA MUNI, VISALIA, CA, THE TWO SWAPPED SEATS AT THE PIC’S INSISTENCE, AS THE PIC WANTED TO EXPERIENCE FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT AS AN INSTRUCTOR. UPON RETURNING TO THE ORIGINATING AIRPORT, CASTLE, MERCED, CA, THE PIC IN THE RIGHT SEAT SAW A FUEL TRUCK APPROACHING SO STOPPED THE AIRPLANE SHORT OF ITS NORMAL PARKING SPOT, AND TOLD HIS ROOMMATE TO TAXI THE PLANE TO PARKING. HE THEN EXITED THE AIRPLANE SO THE FUEL TRUCK DRIVER WOULDN’T CATCH THE TWO OF THEM IN THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME. HE THEN RAN QUICKLY FORWARD INTO THE TURNING PROPELLER CAUSING HIS DEATH. HE MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE PROPELLER AS IT WAS DARK BY THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N45994 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.