What happened
On August 29, 1965, a short flight involving a Smaragd CP 3015 (registration HB-SEM) concluded at Birrfeld airfield. Following an 11-minute flight, the pilot taxied the aircraft to a parking stand. To shut down the engine, the pilot moved the mixture lever to the idle-cut-off position and simultaneously slid the cockpit canopy rearward.
As the engine was still in its run-down phase, the passenger exited the aircraft by stepping onto the wing and jumping forward toward the ground. While rising from a crouched position, the passenger's head struck the propeller, which was still rotating. The incident resulted in one injury, specifically a significant scalp laceration requiring a skin graft.
The investigation
The investigation examined the actions of both the pilot and the passenger during the engine shutdown and egress sequence. The aircraft, owned by the Motorfluggruppe Birrfeld, was equipped with a Continental 90 HP engine and a wooden Hoffmann propeller. The investigation noted that the passenger, a glider student, had previously flown in this specific aircraft multiple times and was familiar with its operations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the passenger's careless and incorrect exit procedure.
- The passenger failed to maintain proper awareness of the propeller's rotation during the shutdown phase.
- While the pilot did not provide a specific warning, the investigation noted that the passenger, given their training as a glider student, should have been aware of the dangers posed by a spinning propeller.
- The investigation highlighted that for this aircraft type, boarding and exiting via the wing should always be performed from the rear toward the front to avoid the propeller arc.