A DHC8 PIC IS COMMANDED TO SHUT HIS ENGS DOWN BY THE MARSHALLER WHEN THE GATE AGENT TUG DRIVER INADVERTENTLY WALKS INTO THE TIPS OF THE PROP AT YUM; AZ.

Narrative

AFTER ENGS WERE STARTED; I GAVE THE SIGNAL TO DISCONNECT THE PWR CART AND PULL CHOCKS. AT THAT MOMENT; I SAW THE AGENT DISCONNECT PWR THEN WALK AROUND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TO THE R. AT THIS TIME; I HEARD A 'THUMP' SOUND. I SAW THE MARSHALLER SIGNAL TO SHUT DOWN THE AIRPLANE. I DID SO IMMEDIATELY. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN USING NORMAL PROCS. AFTER BEING NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT THAT THE AGENT WALKED INTO THE PROP ON THE R SIDE; I COMMANDED FOR THE PAX TO BE DEPLANED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT STATED THAT THE GATE AGENT WAS PERFORMING THE FUNCTION OF TUG DRIVER AS WELL. AFTER THE PWR CART DISCONNECT; SHE NOTICED A SVC DOOR OPEN TOWARDS THE R REAR OF THE ACFT AND WENT IN BTWN THE R ENG AND THE FUSELAGE. SHE WAS VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT THE PROP GRAZED HER HEAD; KNOCKING HER UNCONSCIOUS. AN AMBULANCE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE WITHIN 5 MINS. IT TOOK 12 STITCHES TO CLOSE THE WOUND. CAPT SAID SHE WAS ONLY WITH THE COMPANY FOR ABOUT 2 WKS; WAS YOUNG AND PROBABLY INEXPERIENCED. HER PRESENT STATUS WASN'T KNOWN.