- Date
- May 16, 2020, 05:47 local (12:47 UTC)
- Place
- Buckeye, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N837TBAir Creation Tanarg
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: AC/prop/rotor contact w person
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 101291
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 adequately maintain a safe distance from the airplane's propeller, which resulted in a serious injury when the propeller struck his hand.
Findings · 2
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 accident pilot had been preforming touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running, to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand, to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller and he was seriously injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The accident pilot had been preforming touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running, to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand, to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller and he was seriously injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N837TB
- Reported as
- Air Creation Tanarg
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- T05010
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 397
- Engine
- Rotax 921L, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 25, 2020
- Departed
- BXK · Buckeye, AZ
- Destination
- BXK · Buckeye, AZ
- Airport
- BXK · Buckeye Muni, runway 35, 5,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2019
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 183 total · 98 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KBXK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 10, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.1 MB in all.