- Date
- April 30, 2010, 16:30 UTC
- Place
- Tamuning
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N733SNCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100430033449A
- Case key
- 75899
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the airplane’s propeller while hand-propping.
Findings · 1
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
Unable to get the engine started, the pilot elected to exit the airplane and turn the propeller by hand. The pilot turned off all electrical power and took the keys out of the ignition after turning the magnetos to off prior to exiting the cockpit. As he turned the propeller with both hands his head went beneath the propeller, which struck his head and resulted in a serious injury to the pilot.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 2010, about 1630 local time, a Cessna 172N, N733SN, registered to Micronesian Aviation Systems Inc., and operated by a private pilot, had the propeller strike the pilot while the airplane was being prepared for a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot received serious injuries, and the safety pilot in the airplane and occupying the right front seat was not injured. The airplane, which was being prepared to be flown when the accident occurred, was not damaged. In a statement submitted to the Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), the safety pilot reported that during the starting sequence the pilot was unable to start the engine. The safety pilot stated that after attempting two more start attempts the pilot said that he would exit the airplane and rotate the propeller [by hand] to see if that would “help out with the engine start.” The safety pilot further reported that prior to exiting the airplane the pilot pulled the mixture to the cutoff position, pulled the throttle to idle, turned off the master switch, and turned the magnetos off and pulled out the keys. The safety pilot reported that the pilot then exited the airplane and proceeded to the propeller where “…he turned the propeller a few times with one hand, and then with both hands. As he turned the propeller with both hands his head went beneath the propeller and [it] struck his head.” The safety pilot added that emergency medical personnel responded to the injured pilot a short time later and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733SN
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268514
- Airframe hours
- 9,278
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2010 · 65 hours before
- Departed
- GUM · Tamuning
- Destination
- GUM · Tamuning
- Airport
- GUM · Guam International Airport
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 24, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 233 total
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,850 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- GUM
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 894 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.