On February 21, 1999, a Piper PA 32R-301 (registration N3559U) was involved in an aviation accident near Dulles, VA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The FBO employee's diverted attention, resulting in an inadvertent encounter with a rotating propeller. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Signature Flight Support employee suffered fatal injuries after contacting a rotating propeller of a parked airplane with its engine running while the pilot transcribed ATIS.
Incident Overview
A Signature Flight Support employee was fatally injured after coming into contact with the rotating propeller of an airplane. The airplane was parked with the engine operating at the time of the incident. The pilot had been transcribing the Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS) and reported that he removed the chock from around the main landing gear and placed it around the front landing gear in an 'L' position.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported that the employee was focused on the front landing gear as he bent down and moved into the path of the propeller. Co-workers stated that the employee may have been distracted due to several domestic issues. The employee had been with Signature Flight Support for approximately three weeks and had no prior aviation experience.
Company Investigation
Investigations of Signature Flight Support by state and federal agencies revealed no deficiencies in the company's training programs.