No fatalities

Trike Pilot Injured by Propeller After Exiting Running Aircraft

Buckeye, AZ, United States

On May 16, 2020, an AIR CREATION TANARG was involved in an aviation accident near Buckeye, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the pilot to adequately maintain a safe distance from the airplane's propeller, which resulted in a serious injury when the propeller struck his hand. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

A trike pilot was seriously injured when his left hand fingers were struck by the rear propeller after he exited the running aircraft to speak with another pilot and the trike began to move.

Accident Narrative

The accident pilot had been performing touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller.

Injuries

The pilot was seriously injured as a result of the propeller strike.

Aircraft Information

The aircraft was a weight-shift control trike. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause

The source does not state a probable cause.

Contributing factors

Pilot