No fatalities

7 Nov 2008: CESSNA 172 SP — Brett Aviation — Frederick, MD

Frederick, MD, United States

On 7 Nov 2008, a CESSNA 172 SP operated by Brett Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Frederick, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The passenger’s failure to avoid the rotating propeller after exiting the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to include deplaning procedures as part of the passenger safety briefing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A passenger exited a Cessna 172 after landing and walked into the rotating propeller. The pilot reported differing accounts of whether he knew the passenger had exited.

Accident Details

After landing at an airport, the passenger seated in the left seat of a Cessna 172 exited the airplane to notify restaurant staff of her arrival. As she walked toward the front of the airplane, the passenger stated she did not see the rotating propeller and "walked into it."

Pilot Statements

In a statement taken by local police immediately following the accident, the pilot reported he asked the passenger to get out of the airplane and go into the restaurant to find out where the airplane could be parked. In a subsequent written statement provided to the Safety Board, the pilot stated the passenger exited the airplane without his knowledge, while he was shutting down the engine.

Passenger Interview

The passenger was not available to answer subsequent questions regarding what, if any, briefing was given to the passenger by the pilot pertaining to procedures for exiting the airplane. During an interview, the pilot stated that prior to the flight he had not briefed the passenger on procedures for exiting the airplane.

Contributing factors

Causes

Passenger

Other contributing factors

Pilot