CESSNA 172S — Statesboro, GA

What happened

After the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger taxied to the ramp after landing, their two passengers (who were seated in the rear of the airplane) exited the airplane and were rushing to get to a waiting ride. The first passenger exited toward the engine (forward), while the second passenger exited toward the tail of the airplane. The pilot stated that he was busy following the checklist to turn off the airplane and the two passengers exited without him knowing. The power was at idle, and before he could shut off the mixture control, the first passenger was struck by the propeller.

According to the pilot-rated passenger, while the pilot was trying to shut down the engine, the passengers exited the airplane, and the first passenger ran into the propeller. According to the surviving passenger, she exited the left side of the airplane, and the first passenger exited the right side of the airplane. No instructions were given to them as they exited. She could hear that the propeller was turning as she walked away from the airplane to get into her ride.

Although the pilot stated that the passengers exited without him knowing, the airplane had seats for only 4 occupants. Review of the airplane manufacturer’s published guidance indicated that entry and exit from the airplane was accomplished through either of two entry doors, one on each side of the cabin at the front seat positions; the door handles used to open the doors were located on the forward part of the armrests for the front seats. Unlike an automotive type of door handle, they had to be rotated from a “LOCK” position, past a “CLOSE” position, and then aft to a “OPEN” position, so that the door could be pushed open to be able to exit the airplane. Review of photographs also indicated that the mounting positions of both the left and right door handles were located about 3 feet forward of the rear seating position, in close proximity to each of the pilots, and were not accessible to the rear seat passengers unless the passengers reached around the front seats, which the pilots were occupying at the time.

No checklist or amplified procedure for the conduct of normal operation was discovered that required the opening of the airplane’s doors before engine shutdown. The manufacturer’s and Federal Aviation Administration guidance also indicated that stopping the engine was the most effective way to ensure the passengers arrived and departed the vicinity of an airplane safely. No medications were found during toxicological testing of the fatally injured passenger that would have contributed to the accident.

The pilot and pilot-rated passenger likely unlatched and opened the doors before shutting the engine down and disembarked the passengers without instructions for deplaning.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.