Passenger Contacts Rotating Propeller During Engine Cool-Down (N761GW)

Background

The pilot and a passenger had flown to another airport before continuing to the accident airport. After landing, the pilot taxied to a pad area and turned the airplane to face the runways. The pilot then began a cooling-down procedure for the turbocharged engine, maintaining low revolutions per minute (rpm) while keeping the airplane stationary. The plan was to perform a five-minute cool-down period before taxiing to a parking area and shutting down the engine.

Accident Sequence

After several minutes of the airplane standing with the engine operating, the passenger removed his headset, exited the airplane, and walked into the rotating propeller. The pilot was uncertain why the passenger left the airplane but suggested the passenger may have become impatient with the wait for the engine cool-down. The pilot noted that the passenger was an experienced pilot who, in recent years, had primarily flown airplanes equipped with wing struts.