Narrative:

In preparation for departure the pilot began a walkaround inspection of the airplane in a systematic counterclockwise manner originating at the nose baggage compartment reassuring its security. Next the propeller area; ensuring that it was free from any obstructions followed by a quick glance at the brakes and landing gear. While walking around to the back side of the airplane the pilot observed a 4 wheeler parked approximately 50 ft away located toward the aft left side of the airplane. The 4 wheeler had 2 people aboard. The pilot continued his inspection by checking the security of the aft cargo door and glancing at the condition of the right landing gear and brake system. A security check of the copilot door; a quick tap on the nose baggage door latch and grazing over 2 of the propeller blades with his hands completed the walkaround inspection. After entering the cockpit; the pilot latched both copilot and pilot doors. The pilot buckled his seat belt and shoulder harness and prepared to start the airplane engine. The pilot used a systematic flow to begin the starting sequence; starting with placing his hand on the fuel selector to verify its position. Once verifying that it was on the left tank he moved to the mixture knob and pushed it in. The propeller knob was pushed in next; located a few inches to the left of the mixture. After verifying that the beacon light switch was turned on; the pilot flipped the master switch on; primed the engine and grabbed the key to engage the engine starter. Before engaging the starter the pilot looked to the left and to the right to ensure the area was clear. However; noticed the 4 wheeler was now approximately 10 yards away and abeam the front of the airplane on the right hand side. The pilot concluded that the 4 wheeler's location would not be a factor in obstructing the airplane so the pilot started to advance the starter key. While moving the key to the right the pilot noticed only 1 person on the 4 wheeler and was concerned about the location of the other. Witnesses reported that the pilot bumped into her while removing bags from the nose which caused her to fall backwards into the propeller and hitting the back of her head. The pilot thinks he may have turned the propeller while she was approaching the airplane and possibly struck her with the blade. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a company representative does not routinely monitor the engine start and it is not company policy to shout 'clear' just prior to engine start. The injured person states that she was knocked into the propeller by the pilot during baggage unloading; although this did not happen. The pilot also states that he sensed something was amiss when the starter was engaged and released it immediately; before the engine actually fired. The propeller almost certainly struck this person during this attempted start.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C207 ACR PILOT REPORTS INJURY TO YOUNG PERSON DURING ENGINE START AT REMOTE ARPT.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR DEP THE PLT BEGAN A WALKAROUND INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE IN A SYSTEMATIC COUNTERCLOCKWISE MANNER ORIGINATING AT THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT REASSURING ITS SECURITY. NEXT THE PROP AREA; ENSURING THAT IT WAS FREE FROM ANY OBSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWED BY A QUICK GLANCE AT THE BRAKES AND LNDG GEAR. WHILE WALKING AROUND TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE THE PLT OBSERVED A 4 WHEELER PARKED APPROX 50 FT AWAY LOCATED TOWARD THE AFT L SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE 4 WHEELER HAD 2 PEOPLE ABOARD. THE PLT CONTINUED HIS INSPECTION BY CHKING THE SECURITY OF THE AFT CARGO DOOR AND GLANCING AT THE CONDITION OF THE R LNDG GEAR AND BRAKE SYS. A SECURITY CHK OF THE COPLT DOOR; A QUICK TAP ON THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR LATCH AND GRAZING OVER 2 OF THE PROP BLADES WITH HIS HANDS COMPLETED THE WALKAROUND INSPECTION. AFTER ENTERING THE COCKPIT; THE PLT LATCHED BOTH COPLT AND PLT DOORS. THE PLT BUCKLED HIS SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS AND PREPARED TO START THE AIRPLANE ENG. THE PLT USED A SYSTEMATIC FLOW TO BEGIN THE STARTING SEQUENCE; STARTING WITH PLACING HIS HAND ON THE FUEL SELECTOR TO VERIFY ITS POS. ONCE VERIFYING THAT IT WAS ON THE L TANK HE MOVED TO THE MIXTURE KNOB AND PUSHED IT IN. THE PROP KNOB WAS PUSHED IN NEXT; LOCATED A FEW INCHES TO THE L OF THE MIXTURE. AFTER VERIFYING THAT THE BEACON LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED ON; THE PLT FLIPPED THE MASTER SWITCH ON; PRIMED THE ENG AND GRABBED THE KEY TO ENGAGE THE ENG STARTER. BEFORE ENGAGING THE STARTER THE PLT LOOKED TO THE L AND TO THE R TO ENSURE THE AREA WAS CLR. HOWEVER; NOTICED THE 4 WHEELER WAS NOW APPROX 10 YARDS AWAY AND ABEAM THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE R HAND SIDE. THE PLT CONCLUDED THAT THE 4 WHEELER'S LOCATION WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR IN OBSTRUCTING THE AIRPLANE SO THE PLT STARTED TO ADVANCE THE STARTER KEY. WHILE MOVING THE KEY TO THE R THE PLT NOTICED ONLY 1 PERSON ON THE 4 WHEELER AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE OTHER. WITNESSES RPTED THAT THE PLT BUMPED INTO HER WHILE REMOVING BAGS FROM THE NOSE WHICH CAUSED HER TO FALL BACKWARDS INTO THE PROP AND HITTING THE BACK OF HER HEAD. THE PLT THINKS HE MAY HAVE TURNED THE PROP WHILE SHE WAS APCHING THE AIRPLANE AND POSSIBLY STRUCK HER WITH THE BLADE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE DOES NOT ROUTINELY MONITOR THE ENGINE START AND IT IS NOT COMPANY POLICY TO SHOUT 'CLEAR' JUST PRIOR TO ENGINE START. THE INJURED PERSON STATES THAT SHE WAS KNOCKED INTO THE PROPELLER BY THE PILOT DURING BAGGAGE UNLOADING; ALTHOUGH THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. THE PILOT ALSO STATES THAT HE SENSED SOMETHING WAS AMISS WHEN THE STARTER WAS ENGAGED AND RELEASED IT IMMEDIATELY; BEFORE THE ENGINE ACTUALLY FIRED. THE PROP ALMOST CERTAINLY STRUCK THIS PERSON DURING THIS ATTEMPTED START.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.