What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Received call from FAA roc on Sunday 10/16/2022 at 11:20PM local. They stated that privacy data omitted, CE-172S, s/n 172S10087, had a passenger exit the aircraft and was fatally injured by the propeller around 10:36PM local. We conducted a group phone call with the Bulloch county sherriff lieutenant and the NTSB. The sherriff’s office gathered statements, photographs, and confirmed that the passenger had walked into the propeller with the engine running. NTSB and I agreed that there was no need for a detailed aircraft inspection as this was not a typical aircraft accident. We released the aircraft to the owner/part 141 flight school. I also contacted the flight school (privacy data omitted and told them that they could move the aircraft on the airfield for maintenance purposes but a ferry permit would not be issued until our office inspected the aircraft.
The accident flight (part 91 rented from the 141) began with two pilots at kbkv brooksville-tampa bay regional to ktbr Statesboro-Bulloch county. The two private pilots were building flight time and had agreed to take a friend and his date on a flight to savannah, GA. They picked the couple up at ktbr and flew them to ksav savannah-hilton head international where the couple had dinner on a first date. After dinner they departed ksav and returned to ktbr where the fatal injury occurred.
I contacted the female passenger and spoke with her about the events that occurred. She stated that no safety briefing was given and that the engine was running when they exited the aircraft. She said that the pilots remained inside the aircraft while the doors opened for them to squeeze out of the back seats. She never touched the door handle. She exited on the LH side and walked to the tail, the male passenger exited on the RH side and walked to the front where he was fatally injured by the downward traveling propeller blade. I also contacted the PIC and told him to send all of his data to me. Pilot data was received on 10/26/2022.
Another FAA inspector traveled to Statesboro on 10/21/2022 to inspect the aircraft (see assist statement) and issued a ferry permit as permitted by an SAIB from the aco that gives relief for a one time flight after a propeller strike. The aircraft was ferried back to kbkv on 10/25/2022. Toxicology sample from the deceased passenger was sent to cami for testing, awaiting results.
As the FAA filed it
RECEIVED CALL FROM FAA ROC ON SUNDAY 10/16/2022 AT 11:20PM LOCAL. THEY STATED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CE-172S, S/N 172S10087, HAD A PASSENGER EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED BY THE PROPELLER AROUND 10:36PM LOCAL. WE CONDUCTED A GROUP PHONE CALL WITH THE BULLOCH COUNTY SHERRIFF LIEUTENANT AND THE NTSB. THE SHERRIFF’S OFFICE GATHERED STATEMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PASSENGER HAD WALKED INTO THE PROPELLER WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. NTSB AND I AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A DETAILED AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AS THIS WAS NOT A TYPICAL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT. WE RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE OWNER/PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL. I ALSO CONTACTED THE FLIGHT SCHOOL (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY COULD MOVE THE AIRCRAFT ON THE AIRFIELD FOR MAINTENANCE PURPOSES BUT A FERRY PERMIT WOULD NOT BE ISSUED UNTIL OUR OFFICE INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT (PART 91 RENTED FROM THE 141) BEGAN WITH TWO PILOTS AT KBKV BROOKSVILLE-TAMPA BAY REGIONAL TO KTBR STATESBORO-BULLOCH COUNTY. THE TWO PRIVATE PILOTS WERE BUILDING FLIGHT TIME AND HAD AGREED TO TAKE A FRIEND AND HIS DATE ON A FLIGHT TO SAVANNAH, GA. THEY PICKED THE COUPLE UP AT KTBR AND FLEW THEM TO KSAV SAVANNAH-HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL WHERE THE COUPLE HAD DINNER ON A FIRST DATE. AFTER DINNER THEY DEPARTED KSAV AND RETURNED TO KTBR WHERE THE FATAL INJURY OCCURRED.
I CONTACTED THE FEMALE PASSENGER AND SPOKE WITH HER ABOUT THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED. SHE STATED THAT NO SAFETY BRIEFING WAS GIVEN AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING WHEN THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. SHE SAID THAT THE PILOTS REMAINED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT WHILE THE DOORS OPENED FOR THEM TO SQUEEZE OUT OF THE BACK SEATS. SHE NEVER TOUCHED THE DOOR HANDLE. SHE EXITED ON THE LH SIDE AND WALKED TO THE TAIL, THE MALE PASSENGER EXITED ON THE RH SIDE AND WALKED TO THE FRONT WHERE HE WAS FATALLY INJURED BY THE DOWNWARD TRAVELING PROPELLER BLADE. I ALSO CONTACTED THE PIC AND TOLD HIM TO SEND ALL OF HIS DATA TO ME. PILOT DATA WAS RECEIVED ON 10/26/2022.
ANOTHER FAA INSPECTOR TRAVELED TO STATESBORO ON 10/21/2022 TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT (SEE ASSIST STATEMENT) AND ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT AS PERMITTED BY AN SAIB FROM THE ACO THAT GIVES RELIEF FOR A ONE TIME FLIGHT AFTER A PROPELLER STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED BACK TO KBKV ON 10/25/2022. TOXICOLOGY SAMPLE FROM THE DECEASED PASSENGER WAS SENT TO CAMI FOR TESTING, AWAITING RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.