FAA: It Was An Industrial Accident

Last week's bizarre accident at Walker Field in Grand Junction (CO) was caused when a mechanic's son hand-propped a Cessna 172 and it rolled out of control into the aircraft his father was working on, according to the FAA

The father, 52-year old John Hoffman, was killed in the accident. The FAA has now concluded the death was an "industrial accident," not an act of negligence, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

"As far as we’re concerned, this is pretty well done, unless we get some information we don’t have. I can’t imagine what in the world that would be," said FAA Inspector Bill Hughes, in an interview with the Daily Sentinel.

Hoffman was a mechanic with Monument Aircraft Services. He was killed last Monday when he was hit in the chest by a spinning prop from the 172.

Witnesses told Hughes that Hoffman was pressure washing the engine of a Beechcraft and apparently neither saw nor heard the unmanned 172 approaching. The aircraft began its uncontrolled taxi after Hoffman's son, trying to move the aircraft, set the brakes and spun up the prop by hand.

Hughes said the engine caught and overpowered the brakes, causing the aircraft to roll uncontrollably toward the senior Hoffman.

FMI: www.faa.gov