Undetermined · NTSB CEN17LA135
LUSCOMBE 8F — Vicksburg, MI
| Date | March 20, 2017 |
| Location | Vicksburg, MI |
| Aircraft | LUSCOMBE 8F |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Prior to flight AC/prop/rotor contact w person |
| Pilot age | 52 |
| Pilot total time | 1,180 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent contact with the propeller while hand propping the engine, which resulted in a fatal injury.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Workload management-Task allocation-Pilot - F
What happened
The commercial pilot was found lying on the ground under the nose of the airplane with a fatal head injury from a propeller strike. Normal engine start for this airplane required hand propping the engine. The airplane was found with the left wheel chocked, and the magneto, throttle control, primer, and fuel tank selector settings as expected for an engine start. It is likely that, during hand propping, the pilot inadvertently entered the path of the propeller. The Federal Aviation Administration advises pilots that hand propping should only be attempted with two properly trained people, and the pilot was alone when he was fatally injured.