- Date
- February 10, 2007, 19:30 local (Feb 11, 2007, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 4 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N124SJCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Dallas, Texas
- FAA report
- 20070211001219A
- Case key
- 65300
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The spectator's inadvertent contact with the turning propeller while the airplane was standing with the engine operating. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot reported that the single-engine airplane was parked on the ramp with the engine idling when a female taking pictures of the pilot and passengers inadvertently walked into the turning propeller. The pilot reported in the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that after conducting a local area flight, he landed and taxied the airplane to the ramp. He parked the airplane parallel to the terminal building and kept the engine running. A female observer walked from the terminal building to the left, rear side of the airplane to photograph the passengers in the back seat. She then proceeded to the front of the aircraft where she was struck by the idling propeller. There was no damage to the airplane and the pilot and three passengers were not injured. The female that walked into the propeller sustained serious injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the mishap.
Factual narrative
The 291-hour private pilot reported that the single-engine airplane was parked on the ramp with the engine idling when a female taking pictures of the pilot and passengers inadvertently walked into the turning propeller. The pilot reported in the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that after conducting a local area flight, he landed and taxied the airplane to the ramp. He parked the airplane parallel to the terminal building and kept the engine running. A female observer walked from the terminal building to the left, rear side of the airplane to photograph the passengers in the back seat. She then proceeded to the front of the aircraft where she was struck by the idling propeller. There was no damage to the airplane and the pilot and three passengers were not injured. The female that walked into the propeller sustained serious injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the mishap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N124SJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280225
- Airframe hours
- 2,263.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lancaster Airport Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 2006
- Departed
- KLNC · Lancaster, TX
- Destination
- KLNC · Lancaster, TX
- Airport
- KLNC · Lancaster, runway 13, 4,999 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 291 total · 250 in this make and model · 226 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLNC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.