No fatalities

29 Feb 2020: Piper PA28 151 — Wilmington, DE

Wilmington, DE, United States

On 29 Feb 2020, a Piper PA28 151 was involved in an aviation accident near Wilmington, DE. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot being struck in the head by the propeller before flight, which resulted in a serious injury. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A witness observed a pilot walking around his airplane before finding him unresponsive with a serious head wound near the engine. The pilot's son called 911, and the witness contacted ground control for rescue.

Incident Overview

A witness reported observing a pilot walking around his airplane while his 11-year-old son sat inside. Shortly after, the witness saw the pilot lying unresponsive in front of the engine, with the son screaming on the phone to 911. The son attempted to describe his location, prompting the witness to contact ground control via the airplane's radio. Ground control then dispatched rescue personnel.

Police Report Details

According to the police report, the pilot sustained a serious head wound, and blood spatter was observed on the propeller. The report also noted that after the pilot was taken to the hospital, the airplane's power and fuel had to be turned off and the airplane tied down.

Wife's Statement

The pilot's wife stated that her husband and son were planning to depart on a cross-country flight before the accident occurred.