What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday oct 12, 2019 I received a call from the FAA roc in reference to prop strike at eyw airport involving N5522S. Husband and wife were operating the aircraft from Key West to page field part 91 operations. During taxi out, PIC husband notice front chalks were installed on aircraft and aircraft would not move. Wife exited aircraft and attempted to remove chalks from the nose landing gear, she was struck by moving propeller.
Eyw fire rescue responded to west ramp signature flight parking area spot (A5) and responded to wife's injuries. Wife sustained the following injuries, amputated right hand, right foot multiple fractures, and right toe was amputated. Monroe county fire rescued transported patient to lower keys medical center and she was airlifted to ryder trauma center in miami.
On October 13, 2019 FAA inspector interviewed PIC husband at ryder trauma center. Husband stated they left page field around 4 pm October 12, 2019 and filed IFR direct to eyw. Husband and wife ate dinner at bagatelle restaurant, Key West, Florida. They finished dinner around 8 pm. No alcohol was consumed during dinner. They proceeded to head to the airport, and a passing storm delayed their departure. PIC husband filed IFR direct to page field. FBO contacted husband and advised him of the fees incurred after 9:oo pm. The FAA tower had closed at 9:00 pm. Husband also stated ramp area has very limited lighting. This was the first time wife was flying at night and she was anxious to depart before night fall. She has flown with husband 5 or 6 times before during daylight conditions. Prop strike occurred at approximately 9:05. Pictures of the chalk show they are black in color with a reflective stripe. PIC husband stated their was miscommunication between him and wife, before he noticed she exited the aircraft to pull the chalks. FAA counseled PIC walter gray to shut down engines when a passenger departs the aircraft, risks are to high with engines running and a passenger in the vicinity of the aircraft.
FAA inspector confirmed with manager at ^bagatelle^ restaurant no alcohol was consumed. Receipt showed no purchase of alcohol.
Aircraft was rented from paragon flight training at page field fort, myers, Florida. Aircraft was evaluated by A&P and determination was made to pull engine off the aircraft and send to repair shop for sudden stoppage inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY OCT 12, 2019 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FAA ROC IN REFERENCE TO PROP STRIKE AT EYW AIRPORT INVOLVING N5522S. HUSBAND AND WIFE WERE OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT FROM KEY WEST TO PAGE FIELD PART 91 OPERATIONS. DURING TAXI OUT, PIC HUSBAND NOTICE FRONT CHALKS WERE INSTALLED ON AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MOVE. WIFE EXITED AIRCRAFT AND ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE CHALKS FROM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, SHE WAS STRUCK BY MOVING PROPELLER.
EYW FIRE RESCUE RESPONDED TO WEST RAMP SIGNATURE FLIGHT PARKING AREA SPOT (A5) AND RESPONDED TO WIFE'S INJURIES. WIFE SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING INJURIES, AMPUTATED RIGHT HAND, RIGHT FOOT MULTIPLE FRACTURES, AND RIGHT TOE WAS AMPUTATED. MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUED TRANSPORTED PATIENT TO LOWER KEYS MEDICAL CENTER AND SHE WAS AIRLIFTED TO RYDER TRAUMA CENTER IN MIAMI.
ON OCTOBER 13, 2019 FAA INSPECTOR INTERVIEWED PIC HUSBAND AT RYDER TRAUMA CENTER. HUSBAND STATED THEY LEFT PAGE FIELD AROUND 4 PM OCTOBER 12, 2019 AND FILED IFR DIRECT TO EYW. HUSBAND AND WIFE ATE DINNER AT BAGATELLE RESTAURANT, KEY WEST, FLORIDA. THEY FINISHED DINNER AROUND 8 PM. NO ALCOHOL WAS CONSUMED DURING DINNER. THEY PROCEEDED TO HEAD TO THE AIRPORT, AND A PASSING STORM DELAYED THEIR DEPARTURE. PIC HUSBAND FILED IFR DIRECT TO PAGE FIELD. FBO CONTACTED HUSBAND AND ADVISED HIM OF THE FEES INCURRED AFTER 9:OO PM. THE FAA TOWER HAD CLOSED AT 9:00 PM. HUSBAND ALSO STATED RAMP AREA HAS VERY LIMITED LIGHTING. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WIFE WAS FLYING AT NIGHT AND SHE WAS ANXIOUS TO DEPART BEFORE NIGHT FALL. SHE HAS FLOWN WITH HUSBAND 5 OR 6 TIMES BEFORE DURING DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. PROP STRIKE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 9:05. PICTURES OF THE CHALK SHOW THEY ARE BLACK IN COLOR WITH A REFLECTIVE STRIPE. PIC HUSBAND STATED THEIR WAS MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN HIM AND WIFE, BEFORE HE NOTICED SHE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO PULL THE CHALKS. FAA COUNSELED PIC WALTER GRAY TO SHUT DOWN ENGINES WHEN A PASSENGER DEPARTS THE AIRCRAFT, RISKS ARE TO HIGH WITH ENGINES RUNNING AND A PASSENGER IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRCRAFT.
FAA INSPECTOR CONFIRMED WITH MANAGER AT ^BAGATELLE^ RESTAURANT NO ALCOHOL WAS CONSUMED. RECEIPT SHOWED NO PURCHASE OF ALCOHOL.
AIRCRAFT WAS RENTED FROM PARAGON FLIGHT TRAINING AT PAGE FIELD FORT, MYERS, FLORIDA. AIRCRAFT WAS EVALUATED BY A&P AND DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO PULL ENGINE OFF THE AIRCRAFT AND SEND TO REPAIR SHOP FOR SUDDEN STOPPAGE INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.