What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 01-30-2012 at Gillespie Field (ksee) in El Cajon, California; private pilot privacy data omitted was preparing his Piper arrow N746R for a flight to bermuda dunes, California (kuud). Woodard arrived at his hanger at approximately 0800 local time to pull the aircraft out of his hanger and prepare it for flight. He staged the plane on the ramp directly north of his open hanger. The purpose of the flight, according to the passenger privacy data omitted, was work related. Passenger privacy data omitted said he arrived at the plane at 0815 local time. He stated that pilot privacy data omitted was there and the plane was ready to go. Passenger privacy data omitted has flown with the pilot privacy data omitted for the past four to five years on these types of trips for the soil engineering company they both work for. Although he is not a pilot, he estimated that he has flown over 50 hours in the cockpit with pilot privacy data omitted and knows his practices and procedures well. Passenger privacy data omitted said the plane had a full left tank and a half-full right tank of fuel. Woodard told privacy data omitted they were ready to taxi.privacy data omitted Stated that they were both in the plane and seat-belted. He said pilot privacy data omitted attempted to start the plane with the key in the ignition 2-3 times. He said the plane did not start and the prop was stopped at the 11 o'clock position from inside the cockpit. privacy data omitted, Said that privacy data omitted told him to get out of the plane because he was going to have to get help to "jump it". He said privacy data omitted and he both got out (only one door). He walked to the rear of the plane to call work. privacy data omitted Said he stood in the back and began to turn forward. He saw pilot privacy data omitted falling down back away from the propeller. He said all he heard prior was a mechanical noise from the front of the plane/engine area. He heard no engine start nor did he see the prop ever move, only pilot privacy data omitted falling down in front of the aircraft. As privacy data omitted ran to the front of the plane, he immediately realized that pilot privacy data omitted had been struck in the head by the prop. privacy data omitted Said the injury was so massive to privacy data omitted head/skull that he was certain he was dead. privacy data omitted Called 911, and within a few minutes paramedics arrived to assist privacy data omitted. The medics took privacy data omitted to mercy hospital, however enroute there he was pronounced dead. The El Cajon police department arrived on-scene minutes prior to the paramedics. Officer mike rosas secured the entire scene of the accident to preserve the scene, evidence and witnesses. Nobody had accessed the cockpit of the plane since both privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted got out of the cockpit minutes earlier to jump it.I arrived on scene at 0930 with inspector marquez. The entire scene was secured by El Cajon police. The plane exterior and interior cockpit had been secured by officer rosas and a non-faa/ntsb official named peter drinkwater. Drinkwater told rosas that the plane might still be "hot". He volunteered to secure the plane while officer rosas observed each of his steps in doing so. Officer rosas photographed the cockpit prior to drinkwaters arrival. I viewed the cockpit photos and they showed the following cockpit setup from right to left:1) mixture control - full RICH2) prop control - full increase (fwd)3) throttle - approx. 1/4 travel (incr)4) master switch - OFF5) ignition - key in set to both,mags HOT6) fuel selector - left tank (full tank)7) parking brake - not SET8) circuit breakers - all appear in. In this condition, the engine magnetos were in a ready to start condition or "hot".on the exterior of the plane, specifically the prop, there was blood and skull/brain tissue on the leading edge of one of the propeller blades. There was also blood and brain below the plane-of-rotation of the the propeller. The general scene presented that, indeed, pilot privacy data omitted had placed or pulled the prop with his hand(s) on a "hot" propeller and it fired once and struck him fatally in the head. Autopsy photos show a lar
As the FAA filed it
ON 01-30-2012 AT GILLESPIE FIELD (KSEE) IN EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA; PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PREPARING HIS PIPER ARROW N746R FOR A FLIGHT TO BERMUDA DUNES, CALIFORNIA (KUUD). WOODARD ARRIVED AT HIS HANGER AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 LOCAL TIME TO PULL THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF HIS HANGER AND PREPARE IT FOR FLIGHT. HE STAGED THE PLANE ON THE RAMP DIRECTLY NORTH OF HIS OPEN HANGER. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT, ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS WORK RELATED.PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE ARRIVED AT THE PLANE AT 0815 LOCAL TIME. HE STATED THAT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THERE AND THE PLANE WAS READY TO GO. PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS FLOWN WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR THE PAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS ON THESE TYPES OF TRIPS FOR THE SOIL ENGINEERING COMPANY THEY BOTH WORK FOR. ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A PILOT, HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAS FLOWN OVER 50 HOURS IN THE COCKPIT WITH PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND KNOWS HIS PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES WELL.PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THE PLANE HAD A FULL LEFT TANK AND A HALF-FULL RIGHT TANK OF FUEL. WOODARD TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEY WERE READY TO TAXI.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THEY WERE BOTH IN THE PLANE AND SEAT-BELTED. HE SAID PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO START THE PLANE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION 2-3 TIMES. HE SAID THE PLANE DID NOT START AND THE PROP WAS STOPPED AT THE 11 O'CLOCK POSITION FROM INSIDE THE COCKPIT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SAID THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOLD HIM TO GET OUT OF THE PLANE BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GET HELP TO "JUMP IT". HE SAID ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HE BOTH GOT OUT (ONLY ONE DOOR). HE WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE PLANE TO CALL WORK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE STOOD IN THE BACK AND BEGAN TO TURN FORWARD. HE SAW PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FALLING DOWN BACK AWAY FROM THE PROPELLER. HE SAID ALL HE HEARD PRIOR WAS A MECHANICAL NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE PLANE/ENGINE AREA. HE HEARD NO ENGINE START NOR DID HE SEE THE PROP EVER MOVE, ONLY PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FALLING DOWN IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT.AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RAN TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE, HE IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD BEEN STRUCK IN THE HEAD BY THE PROP. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THE INJURY WAS SO MASSIVE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HEAD/SKULL THAT HE WAS CERTAIN HE WAS DEAD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED 911, AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES PARAMEDICS ARRIVED TO ASSIST ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE MEDICS TOOK ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO MERCY HOSPITAL, HOWEVER ENROUTE THERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD.THE EL CAJON POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON-SCENE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE PARAMEDICS. OFFICER MIKE ROSAS SECURED THE ENTIRE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT TO PRESERVE THE SCENE, EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES. NOBODY HAD ACCESSED THE COCKPIT OF THE PLANE SINCE BOTH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ GOT OUT OF THE COCKPIT MINUTES EARLIER TO JUMP IT.I ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 0930 WITH INSPECTOR MARQUEZ. THE ENTIRE SCENE WAS SECURED BY EL CAJON POLICE. THE PLANE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR COCKPIT HAD BEEN SECURED BY OFFICER ROSAS AND A NON-FAA/NTSB OFFICIAL NAMED PETER DRINKWATER. DRINKWATER TOLD ROSAS THAT THE PLANE MIGHT STILL BE "HOT". HE VOLUNTEERED TO SECURE THE PLANE WHILE OFFICER ROSAS OBSERVED EACH OF HIS STEPS IN DOING SO. OFFICER ROSAS PHOTOGRAPHED THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO DRINKWATERS ARRIVAL. I VIEWED THE COCKPIT PHOTOS AND THEY SHOWED THE FOLLOWING COCKPIT SETUP FROM RIGHT TO LEFT:1) MIXTURE CONTROL - FULL RICH2) PROP CONTROL - FULL INCREASE (FWD)3) THROTTLE - APPROX. 1/4 TRAVEL (INCR)4) MASTER SWITCH - OFF5) IGNITION - KEY IN SET TO BOTH,MAGS HOT6) FUEL SELECTOR - LEFT TANK (FULL TANK)7) PARKING BRAKE - NOT SET8) CIRCUIT BREAKERS - ALL APPEAR IN.IN THIS CONDITION, THE ENGINE MAGNETOS WERE IN A READY TO START CONDITION OR "HOT".ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE PLANE, SPECIFICALLY THE PROP, THERE WAS BLOOD AND SKULL/BRAIN TISSUE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES. THERE WAS ALSO BLOOD AND BRAIN BELOW THE PLANE-OF-ROTATION OF THE THE PROPELLER. THE GENERAL SCENE PRESENTED THAT, INDEED, PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PLACED OR PULLED THE PROP WITH HIS HAND(S) ON A "HOT" PROPELLER AND IT FIRED ONCE AND STRUCK HIM FATALLY IN THE HEAD. AUTOPSY PHOTOS SHOW A LAR
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.