- Date
- October 17, 1993, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N28930Grumman American AA-5B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 20, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931017039749A
- Case key
- 37448
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
Improper decision by the other person (pilot's mother) to go to the airplane, while the pilot was making checks in preparation for flight, and her failure to identify the hazardous condition (turning propeller).
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 was running up the engine in preparation for a flight and had his vision concentrated on the engine instruments. During that time, his mother walked to the airplane and was struck by the propeller.
Factual narrative
On October 17, 1993, about 1645 eastern daylight time, N28930,registered to Kurt B. Waller was involved with a propeller strike on the ground at Pine Shadow Airpark, Fort Myers, Florida, while attempting a 14 CFR 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the intended local flight. The airplane received minor damage, one person on the ground received serious injuries, and the pilot and other two passengers reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time.
The pilot stated to local law enforcement officials that during runup before the flight, the pilot's mother walked toward the airplane after the engine was started to give a passenger some food and was struck by the propeller, severing her arm. The pilot did not see her until after she was struck because he was watching instruments during the runup.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28930
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0896
- Airframe hours
- 796
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Waller, Kurt B.
- Registered owner
- Waller, Kurt B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 1993 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- 94FL
- Destination
- 94FL
- Airport
- 94FL · Pine Shadows
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 285 total · 91 in this make and model · 244 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY, 12 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.