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GAA20CA025

2019-10-12 · Key West, Florida, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport EYW

Current FAA registration · N5522S

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2014 · 5 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20140528
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A70988

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s and the passenger's improper decision to have the passenger attempt to move a wheel chock while the propeller was turning, which resulted in a serious injury.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he performed the preflight inspection at night and started the airplane, but the airplane would not move forward as he attempted to taxi from parking to the runway. The pilot looked out the airplane's left window in search of wheel chocks, and his passenger exited the airplane's right door and checked the right main landing gear wheel for chocks. The passenger subsequently moved to the front of the airplane and attempted to remove the chocks from the nose wheel. The passenger's right hand was struck by the propeller. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection at night and started the airplane, but the airplane would not move forward as he attempted to taxi from parking to the runway. The pilot looked out the left window to see if there were wheel chocks, and his passenger exited the right door and checked the right main landing gear wheel for chocks. The passenger subsequently moved to the front of the airplane and attempted to remove the chocks from the nosewheel. The passenger's right hand was struck by the propeller, which resulted in a serious injury. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Passenger - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Person-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2019_GAA20CA025.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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