# NTSB CEN14LA272: Dehavilland DHC 6 200, N223AL, Middletown, OH, June 1, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 1, 2014, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Middletown, OH - Coordinates: 39.531944, -84.396385 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5319&lon=-84.3964&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Standing-engine(s) operating: AC/prop/rotor contact w person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report October 27, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 89347 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN14LA272 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89347/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89347 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA272 ## Probable cause The skydiving operator employee’s failure to see and avoid the rotating propeller blades when she walked toward the cockpit while the airplane’s engines were running. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: attention](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510): Personnel issues › Psychological · Airport personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Dehavilland DHC-6-200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md?model=2802620), [All aircraft, 226 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Standing-engine(s) operating: AC/prop/rotor contact w person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081) (defining event); cases with it: [Dehavilland DHC-6-200, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081/sequence.md?model=2802620), [All aircraft, 61 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/081/sequence.md) ## Analysis The skydiving airplane was on a ramp with its engines operating while the pilot waited for passengers to board. The pilot asked an employee of the skydiving operator if he could order something to eat for lunch. The employee responded that she had time to come see the pilot at the airplane because she was expecting a small delay before the next flight. The pilot thought the delay was not long enough to justify shutting down the engines. The pilot observed the employee exit the manifest office and run toward the airplane. The skydiving operator typically flew single-engine airplanes with the propeller located in front of the cockpit; however, the accident airplane was a twin-engine airplane with its propellers located under each wing. The operator's employee subsequently walked into the operating propeller under the airplane's left wing, sustaining fatal injuries. ## Factual narrative On June 1, 2014, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a propeller from a DeHavilland DHC-6-200 airplane, N223AL, struck an employee from the skydiving operator as she walked toward the cockpit while the airplane was standing with the engines operating on a ramp at the Middletown Regional Airport/Hook Field (MWO), near Middletown, Ohio. The employee received fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by Win Win Aviation Inc. under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a skydiving flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local skydiving flight was standing on the MWO ramp while waiting for passengers to board when the accident occurred.The local MWO skydiving operator, Start Skydiving LLC, contracted with the airplane operator, Win Win Aviation Inc., to supply the airplane and pilot to support skydiving operations at MWO. The skydiving operator operated single-engine airplanes with the propeller located in front of the cockpit; however, the contracted airplane was a twin-engine airplane with its propellers located under each wing. According to the pilot's report, he asked a skydiving operator's employee if he could order something to eat for lunch as they had talked about earlier in the day. The employee responded that she had time to come see the pilot at the airplane because she was expecting a small delay before the next flight. The pilot thought the delay was not long enough to justify shutting down the engines. The pilot observed the employee running with a piece of paper once she exited the manifest office, which was about 100 feet in front of the airplane. He reached between two seats to get a pen ready while the employee had to go around a fence to the loading area before entering the airplane parking area. The skydiving operator's employee subsequently walked into the operating propeller under the airplane's left wing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N223AL](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N223AL), registered now, S/N 223, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC 6 200 (200) - Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-6-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-200) (registry code 2802620) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (registry code 52032, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 223 - Year built: 1969 - Airframe hours: 35334 - Engines: P&W Canada PT6A-20 turbo prop; P&W Canada PT6A-20 turbo prop - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Skydiving, Part 91 - Operator: Win Win Aviation Inc - Registered owner: Win Win Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, May 30, 2014 - Departed: MWO, Middletown, OH - Destination: MWO, Middletown, OH - Airport: MWO, Middletown Regional/Hook Field ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 25; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 12, 2013; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 2,800 total, 1,075 in this make and model, 2,500 as pilot in command, 100 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 240° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: KMWO ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140601008289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140601008289A), Jun 1, 2014: Dehavilland DHC-6-200, Middletown, OH, Minor damage, 1 fatal. Aircraft was conducting a hot load parachute operation when one of the ground crew walked into the left spinning propeller and was struck in the head, she… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89347. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Pilot (item 1, .PDF, 845 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40414806&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Pilot-Redacted.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Operator (item 2, .PDF, 249 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40414807&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20-%20Operator-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.