What happened
On 18 April 2002, a Gulfstream AA-5A, registration G-PAWS, was parked on a grass area near the flying school at Southend Airport. The aircraft's engine failed to start using the onboard battery, prompting the crew to attempt to start the engine by hand-swinging the propeller. The goal was to then taxi the aircraft to a maintenance area.
Following the flying school's established procedures, a second instructor was assigned to swing the propeller while the pilot in command remained in the cockpit. The engine controls, parking brake, and magnetos were properly configured for the procedure. After an initial unsuccessful attempt, a second swing caused the engine to start. During this process, the first descending propeller blade struck the instructor in the head, and the second blade struck his arm.
The pilot immediately closed the throttle and switched the magnetos to the OFF position. The pilot then exited the aircraft to provide assistance to the instructor until emergency services arrived. The instructor sustained a cut to the head and a badly fractured left arm.
The investigation
The investigation established that the engine failed to start via the battery, necessitating the manual start attempt. The investigation also reviewed the flying school's safety protocols regarding ground operations and engine starting procedures.
Findings
- The engine was successfully started during the second attempt at hand-swinging the propeller.
- The instructor on the ground sustained serious injuries, including a head wound and a fractured arm.
- The practice of hand-swinging a propeller has since been prohibited by the flying school following this incident.