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WPR20CA150

2020-05-16 · Buckeye, Arizona, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BXK

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The failure of the pilot to adequately maintain a safe distance from the airplane's propeller, which resulted in a serious injury when the propeller struck his hand.

Factual narrative

The accident pilot had been preforming touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running, to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand, to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller and he was seriously injured. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The accident pilot had been preforming touch and go landings with several trike pilots when he decided to land and talk to another trike pilot on the ground. After landing and setting the parking brake, he exited his trike with the engine still running, to go talk to the other pilot. When he returned to his trike, it had started to move, and he chased after it. As he neared the trike, he attempted to reach around to the right rear strut with his left hand, to stop it. However, the pilot did not see the rear mounted propeller, and his left-hand fingers were struck by the propeller and he was seriously injured. 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
  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusion-Situational awareness-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_WPR20CA150.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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