- Date
- October 12, 2019, 21:05 local (Oct 13, 2019, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Key West, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- N5522SCessna 172
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: AC/prop/rotor contact w person
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191012019629A
- Case key
- 100442
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 pilot’s and the passenger's improper decision to have the passenger attempt to move a wheel chock while the propeller was turning, which resulted in a serious injury.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection at night and started the airplane, but the airplane would not move forward as he attempted to taxi from parking to the runway. The pilot looked out the left window to see if there were wheel chocks, and his passenger exited the right door and checked the right main landing gear wheel for chocks. The passenger subsequently moved to the front of the airplane and attempted to remove the chocks from the nosewheel. The passenger's right hand was struck by the propeller, which resulted in a serious injury. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he performed the preflight inspection at night and started the airplane, but the airplane would not move forward as he attempted to taxi from parking to the runway. The pilot looked out the airplane's left window in search of wheel chocks, and his passenger exited the airplane's right door and checked the right main landing gear wheel for chocks. The passenger subsequently moved to the front of the airplane and attempted to remove the chocks from the nose wheel. The passenger's right hand was struck by the propeller. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5522S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11430
- Built
- 2014
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paragon Flight Training Co
- Registered owner
- Paragon Flight Training Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Destination
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EYW · Key West Intl
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 164.6 total · 152.3 in this make and model · 98 as pilot in command · 29.2 in the last 90 days · 7.9 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KEYW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 23, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 705 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.