- Date
- July 25, 1992, 07:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N733MXCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920725027419A
- Case key
- 33112
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-in-command's failure to stand clear of the propeller as he rotated it by hand, resulting in the propeller rotating around due to engine compression, striking the pilot, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ramp, resulting in serious injury.
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 pilot stated the starter motor would run but not turn engine. He was told by another pilot that when this happens he should exit the aircraft and reposition the propeller. He turned off the magnetos and exited the aircraft. As he turned the propeller, it rotated around due to engine compression and struck him on the forehead. He lost his balance and fell backward, at which time he struck his head on the ramp, causing a skull fracture.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733MX
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268406
- Airframe hours
- 2,272
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bay Aero Center, Inc., doing business as Bay Aviation
- Registered owner
- Sowell Aviation Company, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 30, 1992 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- PFN
- Destination
- HSV · Huntsville, AL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 162 total · 63 in this make and model · 129 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PFN, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.