What happened
On the early morning of 6 July 1996, an HS 748-2A cargo aircraft, registration G-AYIM, operated by Emerald Airways, arrived at Dublin Airport from Liverpool. After landing on Runway 2 8, the aircraft taxied to Stand 55 on the South Apron.
As the aircraft approached the stand, a ground operative took over marshalling duties. Once the aircraft reached its designated position, the pilot brought the plane to a halt. The cockpit crew then began their shutdown sequence, which included a period of 30 seconds where the engines remained at idle speed to allow for temperature stabilization. During this phase, the ground operative approached the aircraft to place chocks on the nose wheel. While walking backwards in an arc and signaling a thumbs-up to the crew, the operative came into contact with the still-rotating port propeller, resulting in one fatality.