Incident Overview
On August 18, 2011, at approximately 1430 Pacific daylight time, a passenger fell and struck his head on the pavement at Lincoln Regional Airport (LHM) in Lincoln, California. The incident occurred while the passenger was attempting to hand-prop the engine of a Luscombe 8A, registration N45725. The private pilot and owner of the airplane was seated in the left pilot seat and was not injured. The airplane itself was not damaged. The flight, conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was preparing to depart for Paradise Skypark Airport (CA92) in Paradise, California.
Sequence of Events
According to a report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that the 87-year-old passenger was experienced at hand-propping aircraft and was to hand-prop the engine prior to departure. During the passenger's first pull through of the propeller, the engine kicked back, causing the passenger to lose his balance and fall backward onto the pavement, hitting his head. The pilot stated that when he saw the passenger disappear from view, he turned the magneto switch to OFF and exited the airplane to check on him. The passenger assured the pilot that he was alright. The pilot then hand-propped the engine himself and departed for CA92. During the flight, the passenger spoke as usual. After landing and placing the airplane in the hangar, the passenger drove home in his car.
Medical Findings
Two days after the incident, the passenger's wife admitted him to a local hospital. The following day, he passed away. The county medical examiner attributed the immediate cause of death to a subdural hematoma resulting from an accidental fall.