Woman walks into propeller

I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
 
Yeah, like a lot of things, though, it only takes one instant of distraction for this type of mistake.

I am reminded of looking at E-2s on the USS Midway how they have giant yellow arrows pointing away from the propellor arranged so as you leave the aircraft, you know which way to turn, especially important since the giant turboprop blades are just a foot or two away from the door.
 
This is indeed very sad and condolences to family and friends of the deceased.

As for the two preceding comments you guys really need to read these news articles properly before just shooting from the hip and making some comment that she should have known better? Did you not see that she was an OFFICE worker. In other words she was NOT necessarily someone who would ever have been out there on the ramp.
 
Sad, I hate to say this but it isn't the first time and won't be the last.
 
airguy said:
I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
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I had a line guy walk into my prop (turned off) once, and that's someone who really does work around them all the time. This time the article says it was an office worker, so I can see how it can happen.

In my case it was at night and the prop was painted black, still though...
 
airguy said:
I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
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While reading the newspaper this morning at breakfast I managed to put my fingers into a glass of orange juice while reaching for a toasted bagel. Made a mess and startled myself for such a silly mistake since I've never done that before in hundreds of previous breakfasts. My mind was obviously elsewhere. Lucky for me mistakes like that while eating breakfast are rarely fatal.

Anyway, pilots and CFIs have been known to walk into propellers with fatal results. I hope I don't kill myself in some way while flying (or eating breakfast) that gets tut-tutted on web forums, though I'll have the dubious fortune of being forever oblivious to the criticisms.
 
airguy said:
I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
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I had this same thought, but I guess all it takes is a second of inattention, complacency or distraction to kill any of us, in any situation. Condolences to the family.
 
That is very sad... I just overflew the Middletown airport last Saturday. That strikes close to home. I always have had a fear some kid will come running out of nowhere on me and end up directly into the propeller. I wonder if the Pilot saw her coming and tried to shutdown. I couldn't imagine how he/she feels too.
 
She was the office manager at the skydive place. The plane in question was a twin otter and not their usual caravan.
 
Several prop strikes a year occur like this, sometimes with loved ones as passengers like the kid who had his mom get out of a DA-20 with the prop spinning.:rolleyes2:
 
Just a bit more information from a discussion with one of the jump plane pilots that knew her and knows the operation. If he chooses he might post more info and if not I understand.

The operation uses a couple Carivans and I think a 206. In the course of the day the young ladies working there will walk out while the plane is being loaded and take orders for or deliver the pilots lunch. They are used to making sure they stay in close proximity to the wing to avoid the propeller at the front of the aircraft. On this particular day both of the Carivans were down for Mx and the operation was flying a twin engine, Otter, Dornier (doesn't really matter). My understanding is that she was either going out to take an order or delivering the pilots food and most likely walked along the leading edge of the wing as she had always done. Of course that would put her directly in the path of a feathered propeller.

I met her last year. Very bubbly and happy person, just enjoying what she did and working around the airport. Always sad to see a life taken so early. I am close friends with three or four people that knew her much better than I did and they are equally saddened by what happened.

Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts.
 
Nobody gets out of my plane until the prop is stopped. I don't care if the passenger is just going to a nearby vehicle to get a forgotten purse or article of clothing. The door doesn't open until total shut-down.

HR
 
Highlights the importance of a passenger brief or crew brief. Once saw a soldier walk around the back of a Black Hawk while the blades were spinning. He was a tall guy so his head was literally inches away from hitting the tail rotor. Took it upon himself to walk around the tail instead of following the crew chief's directions. Guy had no idea how close he came to getting his head split open. Always, always follow the directions of the crew.
 
Lawreston said:
Nobody gets out of my plane until the prop is stopped. I don't care if the passenger is just going to a nearby vehicle to get a forgotten purse or article of clothing. The door doesn't open until total shut-down.

HR
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Skydive ops hotfuel and load Twin Otters all day every day. Thre was another one at a DZ in NC about 15 years ago. Unfortunate but considering how many Twin Otter hot operations there are it really isn't unsafe.
 
Yes very sad indeed. I posted a thread about it when it happened:
http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71616

I help out some over the last couple of years flying the Caravan. She was a very sweet person and did everything she could around there to help out. She ran the manifest, scheduling, office, everything really. She is a skydiver and had been there for 3 or 4 years. Like Tim said, they were loading up during a turn and she had to talk with the pilots for something, maybe bringing lunch like she did for me plenty of times (apparently radio problems) and I think she was not thinking about it being an Otter with wing mounted engines. She went walking around with her head down and made a big mistake. I was not there that day, and I am glad I wasn't.

I am going to her visitation tomorrow. :sad:
Hocky said:
As for the two preceding comments you guys really need to read these news articles properly before just shooting from the hip and making some comment that she should have known better? Did you not see that she was an OFFICE worker. In other words she was NOT necessarily someone who would ever have been out there on the ramp.
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She was on the ramp all the time.
 
Lawreston said:
Nobody gets out of my plane until the prop is stopped. I don't care if the passenger is just going to a nearby vehicle to get a forgotten purse or article of clothing. The door doesn't open until total shut-down.

HR
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The problem in high frequency, low ($$) margin operations in turbines is cycle costs. Ag, and I bet jump, operators get an allowance on cycles if you don't shut down all the way, we were getting 3 operational cycles for 2 against the cycle count if we didn't shut down between loads. At the end of a couple of years, that's a significant chunk of change.
 
Henning said:
The problem in high frequency, low ($$) margin operations in turbines is cycle costs. Ag, and I bet jump, operators get an allowance on cycles if you don't shut down all the way, we were getting 3 operational cycles for 2 against the cycle count if we didn't shut down between loads. At the end of a couple of years, that's a significant chunk of change.
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Yes. We don't shut anything down to load unless there is a significant load gap.
 
Henning said:
The problem in high frequency, low ($$) margin operations in turbines is cycle costs. Ag, and I bet jump, operators get an allowance on cycles if you don't shut down all the way, we were getting 3 operational cycles for 2 against the cycle count if we didn't shut down between loads. At the end of a couple of years, that's a significant chunk of change.
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Your point(and other similar comments) understood. Mine is not such a volume operation.

HR
 
airguy said:
I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
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I hate people that say this. Accident happens, oh one-who-has-never-made-a-mistake-in-his-life.

Sometimes people make serious mistakes and walk away and sometimes others make simple ones and don't.
 
Part of the problem may be that people are taught to stay away from propellers (and they generally do), but they also need to be taught--even more emphatically--to stay away from where a propeller should be but isn't (because it's invisible while spinning, and inaudible if the ramp is loud enough).
 
If I let someone out or take someone on, I kill the engine. People simply don't see the propeller.
 
I have loaded and unload a few folks with the engines running in 400 series Cessnas. The door is behind the wing and they all have explicit instructions to walk around the tail. I wouldn't do this with just anyone, but only people I feel understand the risks and I think will follow my instructions. ;)
 
airguy said:
I'm surprised a airport worker, who one would *THINK* would be a little more aware of the dangers of props, would do this.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately some are not. A couple of weeks ago I was taxiing back to the ramp and this dumb ramp worker decides to pull a car right out in front of the plane as I slam on the brakes and he goes along on his merry way
 
flyingron said:
She was the office manager at the skydive place. The plane in question was a twin otter and not their usual caravan.
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That seems to be the key. Being used to a singles fleet, I can see how this happened... so sad!
 
One thing we can do is insist NOBODY runs on the ramps. I've seen pax, pilots and rampers running around on ramps. I know that not the issue here but it's one way to help cut down on these prop incidents.
 
Henning said:
Also with a recip there is no great benefit.
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Must have been some sort of benefit. Mabe turnaround time, or something.
When doing the ag thing we'd only shut down when it was either too dark or too windy. Everything else was done with the prop turning, even washing windshield.
 
bluerooster said:
Must have been some sort of benefit. Mabe turnaround time, or something.
When doing the ag thing we'd only shut down when it was either too dark or too windy. Everything else was done with the prop turning, even washing windshield.
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With turbines yes, we never hot loaded recips.
 
ChrisK said:
Because their shutdown and hot restart procedure is a non-event?
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We shut down recips because it was to our advantage, props on recips don't have a feather or Beta they idle in with no thrust, they shake, and they spin a hazardous object around. The only reason we didn't shut the turbines down was because of cycle count.
 
The local ag guys hot-load their air-tractors, it's always something I enjoy watching. Two people - and ONLY two - crawling all over a running aircraft with an empty cockpit. Pilot and loader doing what they do, a well practiced team, experts at work. Caution is advised, beginners need not apply.

Downwind landing, spin it on a wheel as the prop feathers, hoses pushed and pulled, and he's off the brakes again as the condition lever comes back up, rolling before the thrust lever comes off the stop. Poetry in motion.
 
I used to jump at a dive operation that would hot load (and also hot fuel) Twin Otters.

Is hot fueling common as well?
 
Our local outfit hot loads in their 182. I shake my head when I see it. They also taxi in the non movement area at close to rotation speed as they get a taxi clearance.
 
This thread is an excellent example of Mike Rowe's concept he calls "Safety Third".
 
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