Accident Overview
On August 7, 2022, at approximately 1425 eastern daylight time, a Diamond Aircraft DA-40 (registration N723AG) sustained minor damage in an accident at Samuels Field Airport (BRY) in Bardstown, Kentucky. One passenger was fatally injured, while the private pilot and another passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, the flight had been a one-hour pleasure trip with a passenger in the front seat and another in the back seat. They decided to land at BRY so the two passengers could switch seats. As they approached the airport, light rain was developing. The pilot stated they intended to quickly change seats because of the rain and the large canopy-style door, aiming to keep rain out of the cockpit.
During taxi to the ramp, the front-seat passenger handed her purse and phone to the rear-seat passenger, asking her to place them on the rear seat in preparation for switching seats. The pilot briefed both passengers that upon exiting, they should walk around the back of the airplane, meet at the tail, then come back around, and to watch out for the propeller. He then turned the airplane to face the taxiway and came to a stop.
Shortly after parking, the pilot opened the canopy while the engine was still operating but commenced shutdown procedures per the checklist. As he was shutting down the engine, the front passenger exited the cockpit. She stepped onto the right wing and off the front step, then proceeded to walk into the operating propeller before the engine could be shut off, sustaining fatal injuries.
Rear Passenger Statement
According to the rear-seat passenger, the events transpired “so fast,” and the pilot did not provide any briefing information regarding exiting the airplane after they landed.
Aircraft Information
The Diamond DA-40 is a four-seat, low-wing cantilever monoplane constructed from composite materials. It features fixed tricycle landing gear and a T-tail. The front canopy opens forward and up, hinged at the front, while the aft seat door is a gullwing configuration on the left side only. The right wing, designed for entry and exit from the front, has a fuselage-mounted step forward of the leading edge wing root approximately 5 feet from the propeller arc.
Manufacturer's Temporary Revision
According to Diamond Aircraft, a temporary revision to the airplane flight manual was generated in 2014. Under the Temporary Revision, Section "Entering and Exiting the Airplane; Chapter 4A.3 Checklists for Normal Operating Procedures" stated the following caution:
> CAUTION: Before starting the engine and until the engine is shut down, the canopy must be closed and latched in position 1 or 2 (‘cooling gap’) and the door must be closed and latched. During engine operation it is prohibited to enter or exit the airplane.
Probable Cause
The source does not provide a stated probable cause for the accident.