Narrative:

Just starting the day, we went out to the aircraft together. I went up front and sat in the capts seat to begin the preflight and pick up our flight clearance. The first officer stayed in the rear. (Rear door type aircraft) about to request the clearance, I heard the door shut. After reading back the clearance, I called back to my first officer, 'I'm going to start the right engine' to heat up the aircraft. With no response I looked back and saw he had left. Looking towards the terminal thinking he had gone back inside for the weight and balance information. Proceeding with my plan of starting the right engine I leaned over the first officer's seat to clear the area. Then clearing my side and again the right. Seconds after starting I heard a thud followed by seeing my first officer out the front left window (holding his head). I quickly shut down and exited the aircraft. Once in the terminal paramedics were called and we were able to talk. As it turned out when he shut the door he proceeded to preflight the exterior. (Something the captain usually does and I always do). West/O saying anything and as cold and windy as it was I assumed he went indoors to gather passenger and bag loads. This was our first trip together, so I didn't know, he would sometimes do the exterior preflight for the captain. So while checking the right engine , I selected start and he jumped and was hit by the first or second blade. A minor injury (3 stitches) that could have been tragic. Conclusion: a starter in front of the aircraft is a must.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF COMMUTER LTT WAS HIT BY THE PROP AS THE CAPT TRIED TO START THE ENGINE.

Narrative: JUST STARTING THE DAY, WE WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TOGETHER. I WENT UP FRONT AND SAT IN THE CAPTS SEAT TO BEGIN THE PREFLT AND PICK UP OUR FLT CLRNC. THE F/O STAYED IN THE REAR. (REAR DOOR TYPE ACFT) ABOUT TO REQUEST THE CLRNC, I HEARD THE DOOR SHUT. AFTER READING BACK THE CLRNC, I CALLED BACK TO MY F/O, 'I'M GOING TO START THE R ENG' TO HEAT UP THE ACFT. WITH NO RESPONSE I LOOKED BACK AND SAW HE HAD LEFT. LOOKING TOWARDS THE TERMINAL THINKING HE HAD GONE BACK INSIDE FOR THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE INFO. PROCEEDING WITH MY PLAN OF STARTING THE R ENG I LEANED OVER THE F/O'S SEAT TO CLR THE AREA. THEN CLRING MY SIDE AND AGAIN THE R. SECS AFTER STARTING I HEARD A THUD FOLLOWED BY SEEING MY F/O OUT THE FRONT L WINDOW (HOLDING HIS HEAD). I QUICKLY SHUT DOWN AND EXITED THE ACFT. ONCE IN THE TERMINAL PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK. AS IT TURNED OUT WHEN HE SHUT THE DOOR HE PROCEEDED TO PREFLT THE EXTERIOR. (SOMETHING THE CAPT USUALLY DOES AND I ALWAYS DO). W/O SAYING ANYTHING AND AS COLD AND WINDY AS IT WAS I ASSUMED HE WENT INDOORS TO GATHER PAX AND BAG LOADS. THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRIP TOGETHER, SO I DIDN'T KNOW, HE WOULD SOMETIMES DO THE EXTERIOR PREFLT FOR THE CAPT. SO WHILE CHKING THE R ENG , I SELECTED START AND HE JUMPED AND WAS HIT BY THE FIRST OR SEC BLADE. A MINOR INJURY (3 STITCHES) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. CONCLUSION: A STARTER IN FRONT OF THE ACFT IS A MUST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.