Incident Overview
On July 15, 2010, about 1630 Pacific daylight time, a Beech A36, registration N4153Q, experienced a ground event at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The aircraft was operated by Connelly Equipment Rental Co. LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The cross-country personal flight was destined for San Diego, California. The pilot was not injured; the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was not damaged.
Passenger Account
The passenger stated that after arriving at the airplane, she and the pilot loaded luggage and boarded. The pilot attempted to start the engine, which had difficulty starting and ran roughly, emitting sounds she described as "putting." When the engine finally started, the pilot attempted to move the airplane, but the wheel chocks were still in place. The passenger recalled offering assistance, and the pilot asked if she would "hop out and get the chocks from the wheels." She exited the airplane without receiving any instructions, crawled under the right wing forward to the right side of the nose, and was struck by the propeller when she leaned in to remove the chocks.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that after realizing the chocks were still securing the airplane, he decided not to shut down the engine because he believed it would not restart due to the high outside air temperature. He also noted that the van driver, who typically transported them from the parking lot to the airplane, did not assist with loading luggage or removing the wheel chocks as usual.
Van Driver Account
The van driver reported that she did not remove the wheel chocks prior to leaving the pilot and passenger because the passenger stated they were not ready.
Pilot's Recommendation
In the recommendation section of the NTSB 6120.1 pilot/operator form, the pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by not allowing the passenger to exit the airplane while the engine was running.