WPR13LA096

The pilot reported that he was preparing his airplane for departure in a designated "run-up" area. The passenger's girlfriend wanted to document the flight with photographs and video. As she approached the airplane from the rear to check an airframe-mounted camera before the airplane departed, she was struck in the head by the propeller of the rear mounted engine. The pilot heard the noise and immediately shut the engine down. Several other people, who were standing nearby, had warned her to stay clear of the engine/propeller area.

On January 20, 2013, about 1430 Pacific standard time a person walked into the propeller of a Quicksilver Sport IIS, N1712, that was standing with its engine operating at Camarillo Airport, Camarillo, California. The sport pilot and his passenger were not injured; however, the person struck by the propeller was seriously injured. The pilot/owner was operating the aircraft under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight, which was preparing for departure from Camarillo at the time of the accident. A flight plan had not been filed. The pilot stated that he was preparing the airplane for departure in a designated "run-up" area. The airplane's engine was aft mounted on the airframe. The passenger's girlfriend wanted to document the flight with photographs and video. The video camera was mounted on the rear airframe structure, very near the engine. Several other people warned her to stay clear of the engine/propeller area. At the last moment, she stepped forward to check the video camera, and was struck in the head by the airplane's propeller. The pilot heard a noise and immediately shut the engine down.