What happened
On the morning of Friday, 16 February 1996, a fatal incident occurred on the tarmac at Ardmore Aerodrome. A Piper PA28, registration ZK-CEQ, was stationary and waiting for its turn at a refueling pump. During this period, the aircraft's engine was running. A spotter, who had been seated in the aircraft, exited the cockpit and attempted to walk toward a nearby helicopter located at the refueling point. While traversing the area, the individual stepped over the right wing's leading edge and entered the path of the rotating propeller, resulting in one fatality.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the movements of the spotter and the environmental conditions present at the time of the accident. Investigators examined the path taken by the individual, noting that he had chosen the shortest route to the refueling point. The inquiry also assessed the auditory and visual environment, specifically looking at how the presence of another aircraft might have affected the spotter's awareness of the moving propeller.
Findings
The primary cause of the accident was the decision by the spotter to exit the aircraft while the engine was still operating to reach the refueling area via the most direct path. Several contributing factors made the rotating propeller difficult to detect. The high level of ambient noise produced by the nearby helicopter's rotors, combined with the visual difficulty of distinguishing the spinning propeller against the background, reduced the spotter's ability to perceive the danger.