What happened
On October 23, 1991, a Piper J3C with registration HB-OFV operated a private sightseeing flight from Raron in the canton of Valais. The pilot occupied the rear seat while his wife sat in the front passenger position. During the sortie, the couple flew in formation with a Bücker aircraft carrying the wife's father as a passenger. The Bücker landed approximately two minutes before the Piper and taxied to Hangar 2.
Following its landing, the Piper J3C HB-OFV continued down the taxiway to shut down its engine. As the aircraft came to a halt and the pilot initiated the shutdown sequence, the female passenger hastily exited the cockpit. Her stated intent was to photograph her father disembarking from the other aircraft. Despite the engine still running and the propeller rotating, she moved quickly around the wing into the arc of the blades. She sustained severe head injuries and died two and a half months later on January 3, 1992.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board examined the operational context and the history of the flight. Records indicated that the pilot held a valid private pilot license and had accumulated significant experience, including over 265 hours in the specific accident model. The aircraft was found to be properly registered and maintained according to regulations.
Crucially, the investigation established that this was not an isolated incident regarding safety protocols. The pilot confirmed that his wife had exited the aircraft multiple times previously while the engine was running. He had repeatedly warned her about the dangers of the rotating propeller on these occasions. On the day of the accident, however, her urgency to capture a photograph caused her to disregard these known risks.
Findings
The primary cause of the accident was the passenger's failure to recognize the hazard posed by the moving propeller when exiting the aircraft. Although she had been warned numerous times before, the desire to take a picture led her to enter the danger zone without checking if the engine was off. The pilot, having just stopped the aircraft, had no time to intervene or prevent her from stepping into the path of the blades.
Safety action
The report highlights the persistent risk of propeller strikes when passengers exit aircraft during engine operation. It underscores that even experienced pilots and familiar passengers cannot rely on habit to ensure safety; strict adherence to shutdown procedures before disembarkation is required regardless of prior experience.