- Date
- March 2, 1996, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Jasper, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N8642SCessna 150F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960302012179A
- Case key
- 19780
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
Failure of the pilot to ensure that the other person (outside the airplane) remained clear of the operating propeller, and failure of the other person to maintain awareness of the hazardous condition. A factor relating to the accident was: the other person diverted his attention to spectators, who were standing nearby.
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
According to the pilot, she had just landed after a local flight with a passenger. While taxiing toward the terminal, a person, who was standing on the ramp, adjacent to the taxiway, approached the airplane from the left (pilot's) side. The pilot then stopped the airplane, idled the engine, and had a brief conversation with the person. During the conversation, the pilot agreed to embark the person after her current passenger exited the airplane, and take the person for a short flight. While conversing, the person was located aft of the left wing strut, and the pilot's door was open. Several spectators, who were observing the activity from the ramp area, reported that after the conversation with the pilot, the person turned to wave at them, and then walked into the propeller.
Factual narrative
On March 2, 1996, at 1715 central standard time, a Cessna 150F, N8642S, registered to a private owner, and operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91, was standing with the engine operating, when a potential passenger outside the airplane contacted the propeller, at Jasper County Airport, Jasper, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The rental airplane sustained minor damaged, and the private pilot-in- command and one passenger were not injured. The person who contacted the propeller sustained serious injuries. The personal flight was intended to embark the potential passenger, and fly in the local area.
According to the pilot, she had just landed after a local sight- seeing flight with a passenger. As she was taxiing toward the terminal, a person, who was standing on the ramp adjacent to the taxiway, approached the airplane from the left (pilot's) side. She then stopped the airplane, idled the engine, and had a brief conversation with the person who approached the airplane. During the conversation, the pilot agreed to embark the person after her current passenger got out of the airplane, and go for a short flight in the local area. During the conversation, the person was located aft of the left wing strut.
Several spectators, who were observing the activity from the ramp area, reported that, after the conversation with the pilot, the person turned to wave at them, and then walked into the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8642S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61942
- Airframe hours
- 4,640
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kevin L. Cottle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1995 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- JAS
- Destination
- JAS
- Airport
- JAS · Bell Field
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 18
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 40 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8642S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.