Victim Flew With Second Student, Against Regs

A young student pilot died Tuesday, three days after he was accidentally walked into a spinning propeller at Castle Airport near Atwater, CA.

The Merced Sun-Star reports the victim, identified only as a 26-year old Chinese national, was one of two Sierra Academy of Aeronautics students who flew a Cessna 152 (type shown at right) down to Visalia and back Saturday. Both pilots had been signed off to solo... but they weren't supposed to be flying together.

Merced County sheriff's spokesman Tom MacKenzie said the pilots tried to run from the plane after they landed back at Castle at around 6:30 pm, and saw a fuel truck approaching... apparently afraid they would be turned in for their violation.

The student in the left seat made a clean getaway... but Mackenzie said the victim attempted to walk around the front of the aircraft to the left side, and was struck in the head by the still-spinning prop.

The victim's identity has not been released, pending notification of his family and the Chinese Consulate. Rashid Yahya, director of flight operations at the school, said the man was a "good student... "He had no problems with his training.

"It's very unfortunate that this thing has happened," Yahya added. "We are all very sad because we've never experienced this type of fatality."

The FAA and NTSB are investigating.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 45994        Make/Model: C152      Description: 152, A152, Aerobat
  Date: 11/16/2008     Time: 0155

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: None

LOCATION
  City: ATWATER   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT PROPELLER STRUCK AND FATALLY INJURED ONE PERSON WHILE IN THE
  NON-MOVEMENT AREA OF THE RAMP, CASTLE AIRPORT, ATWATER, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 0145Z 00000 6HZ SKC 17/10 A3010

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Training      Phase: Standing      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: FRESNO, CA  (WP17)                    Entry date: 11/17/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.sierraacademy.com/