Accident Details
On November 15, 2008, at about 1750 Pacific standard time, a student pilot died after exiting a Cessna 152, registration N45994, and inadvertently contacting the turning propeller. The accident occurred at Atwater/Castle Airport (MER) in Atwater, California. The airplane was registered to KS Aviation, Inc. and operated by Sierra Academy of Aeronautics under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The student pilot who was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident was not injured. The airplane was not damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which originated from Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS) at 1625 with an intended destination of MER. According to U.S. Naval Observatory data, sunset occurred at 1652.
Flight Sequence
A certified flight instructor (CFI) had scheduled the second student pilot for a solo cross-country flight that morning. Before the flight, the CFI met the second student at the airport to check weather and endorse his logbook. The CFI watched the second student walk to the ramp to preflight the airplane and then left the airport premises. The first student pilot stated he waited on the first floor of the air traffic control tower while the second pilot was dispatched the airplane. When the CFI left, the first pilot walked onto the ramp and joined the second pilot for the cross-country flight. On departure from MER, the second pilot was in the left seat and manipulating the flight controls. After landing at VIS, the student pilots switched seats for the return flight to MER.
Post-Landing Events
After landing back at MER, the second student pilot taxied the airplane toward the ramp. Concerned about being seen by flight school personnel, the second pilot instructed the first pilot to taxi the airplane to the designated parking area, then exited the airplane. The first pilot reported that after exiting, the second student pilot ran toward the front of the airplane and was struck by the turning propeller.