Accident Overview
On August 15, 2009, about 11380 central daylight time, the rotating propeller of a Cessna 182B, registration N2364G, struck a deplaning passenger at Caddo Mills Municipal Airport (7F3) in Caddo Mills, Texas. The aircraft was owned by an individual and operated by North Texas Skydiving Center LLC under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The passenger sustained serious injuries; the pilot, the only other person aboard, was not injured.
Event Details
The flight originated from 7F3 and had been conducting multiple sorties to drop sport parachutists. According to the pilot, after landing following a jump by three parachutists, one passenger remained aboard. He stopped the airplane with its nose pointed toward a parked vehicle where the next group of parachutists waited. A ground crewmember arrived at the right cabin door and assisted the passenger's exit while the engine and propeller were still running. As the crewmember leaned in to speak to the pilot, the passenger went around the outboard side of the right wing strut and walked toward the waiting group.
In a written statement, the passenger said she was aboard to observe the parachutists and intended later that day to make her first tandem jump. After the three parachutists jumped, the airplane landed and taxied back to the waiting area. She was sitting aft-facing on the forward right cabin floor when the airplane stopped. A ground crewmember came to the open right door, tapped her foot, and told her she was "good to go." As she exited, the crewmember leaned in to talk to the pilot. She walked forward toward the waiting vehicle and was struck by the operating propeller.
Witness Accounts
Several witnesses reported that the passenger did not appear to see the propeller as she slowly walked toward the parked vehicle.
Damage and Investigation
Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the airplane and found damage to two propeller blades and to the parachute worn by the passenger at the time of the incident.
Advisory Circular Guidance
According to FAA Advisory Circular 91-42D, "Hazards of Rotating Propeller and Helicopter Rotor Blade," a review of propeller accidents indicates that most were preventable. The circular cautions that the engine "should be shut down before boarding or deplaning passengers" and advises that "when it is necessary to discharge a passenger from an aircraft on which an engine is running, never stop the aircraft with the propeller in the path of the passenger's route from the aircraft."