A San Diego pilot was struck and killed while he was hand cranking the propeller. The fatal accident occurred at 8:30 a.m. after the propeller struck him in the head.

It was reported that the pilot and passenger were in the aircraft as the plane began to taxi down the runway. However, after the plane stalled the pilot got out of the plane and attempted to start it by hand. It was at this point that the pilot was killed.

One flight instructor did state that attempting to hand start a propeller is extremely dangerous as the propeller can suddenly begin operating at around 2,000 RPMs. This same instructor stated that teaching safety is of the utmost concern in his instruction and he always warned his students to be extra careful around the propeller.

Investigation as to how this accident occurred is ongoing. How the accident occurred cannot be determined by a cursory observation, and such accidents are often not as obvious as these first seemed to be. It is important to determine if another party was negligent in the pilot's death. Family members of the deceased and their attorneys deserve to have such questions answered as to how the victim was killed.

Before assigning fault to anyone in this accident, the plane will need to be inspected and the accident reconstructed. Measurements will need to be taken, the airplane will require a mechanical inspection to determine if the propeller was operating properly, and warnings on the plane and in the instruction manuals will have to be reviewed.

It must be added that this was not the first accident of this type. If accidents reoccur in the same manner, it can no longer just be considered a fluke. Steps must then be taken to insure such types of accidents never again occur.

Source: U-T San Diego, "Pilot dies in propeller accident at Gillespie Field," by Debbi Baker, Jan. 30, 2012