Background
On 18 April 2002, a Gulfstream AA-5A (registration G-PAWS) was parked on a grass area near the flying school at Southend Airport, Essex. The aircraft, manufactured in 1979, was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-E2G piston engine. The flight was a positioning movement on the ground. The pilot in command, a 37-year-old commercial pilot with an instrument and instructor rating, held 1,680 hours of flying experience (730 on type). No passengers were on board.
Incident
When the aircraft's battery failed to start the engine, the crew decided to attempt a 'hand swing' of the propeller, followed by a taxi to the maintenance area. In accordance with the flying school's procedures, a flying instructor (the pilot in command) was responsible, and another instructor was assigned to swing the propeller. The engine controls, parking brake, and magnetos were set correctly. The first attempt to swing the propeller did not start the engine, so a second attempt was made. As soon as the propeller moved, the engine started. The first descending propeller blade struck the head of the instructor performing the hand swing; the second blade struck his arm. The aircraft commander immediately closed the throttle and turned the magnetos to OFF. He then exited the aircraft and provided assistance to the injured instructor, who had sustained a cut to the head and a badly fractured left arm, until an ambulance arrived.
Aftermath
The flying school's previous procedure for hand swinging a propeller required a flying instructor to perform the task. Following this incident, the practice of hand swinging a propeller was prohibited by the school.