Incident Overview
On 26 July 2001 at 2115 hours, a Luscombe 8A (registration G-BSTX) completed a short private flight and landed at a private landing site in Kilkeel, County Down. The aircraft was manufactured in 1947 and powered by a single Continental Motors Corp A65-8 piston engine. On board were the pilot and one passenger, a 13-year-old girl.
Sequence of Events
After landing, the passenger disembarked from the right door while the engine was running at idle. The pilot intended to conduct a further short flight alone. He stated that he warned the passenger 'to be very careful,' but she had no recall of this warning. The pilot expected her to turn right and go around the rear of the aircraft; instead, she turned left, walked under the wing and strut, and crossed in front of the aircraft. As she moved toward her friend (the pilot's daughter, who was standing in front and to the left of the aircraft), the rotating propeller tip contacted her left arm, causing a serious injury. The engine was shut down, and emergency services were alerted. The passenger was taken to hospital, where her arm was subsequently amputated above the elbow.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft's Permit to Fly had expired on 18 June 2001, over a month before the flight. The pilot had no recorded flying experience and did not hold a pilot's licence. He had not undergone any formal flying training.
AAIB Comment
The investigation noted the danger of allowing passengers to disembark while an aircraft's engine is running, particularly when the passengers are young and have little or no aviation experience. The fact that the pilot did not hold a licence was not considered an obvious causal factor; however, the report observed that formal training would have exposed the pilot to a safety culture that emphasizes the inherent risks of such actions and to relevant publications, such as the CAA General Aviation Safety Sense Leaflets.