Woman Hit In Head By Airplane

Notice that they mention the pilot was 72 years old, but don't mention the age of the woman who was hit. I could easily see my grandmother having done something like that. My mom probably wouldn't just because she's lived in Manhattan for the past 30 years - she understands the concept of "Look both ways before you cross the street." Seriously, who does something like that?!

They say that the plane was trying to take off from a taxiway, though. I find that odd, probably inaccurate.
 
GVL is just five miles up the road from me and I live under the LOC path. I must have been pretty ignorant of any news this weekend as I didn't hear a thing.

The taxiway where aircraft are lined near is pretty narrow and there's another parallel taxiway between it and Runway 2/22. If he was attempting to take off on that near the parked aircraft, he's definitely out of it.

I looked but didn't even see anything in the local Gainesville paper's site.
 
CapeCodJay said:
Just how does this happen???
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Before we put the gate up at my little airport we had an elderly woman drive across the ramp and down the runway. She was looking for XNA, the regional airport 10 miles away.

Ted DuPuis said:
They say that the plane was trying to take off from a taxiway, though. I find that odd, probably inaccurate.
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Been there, done that. A few times at controlled airports with tower approval - once at DFW in fact, but at uncontrolled airports I've done it because the runway was closed for some reason.
 
I am just a little concerned with the chain of events here.

1. "Officials said the 72-year-old pilot from Acworth was attempting to take off from the taxiway." Why was he taking off of the taxiway? was the main runway closed or did he get confused?


2. "when he said the woman stepped in the path of his Piper aircraft." Why was she walking on a taxiway?
 
smigaldi said:
I am just a little concerned with the chain of events here.

1. "Officials said the 72-year-old pilot from Acworth was attempting to take off from the taxiway." Why was he taking off of the taxiway? was the main runway closed or did he get confused?


2. "when he said the woman stepped in the path of his Piper aircraft." Why was she walking on a taxiway?
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Here are a couple more local articles I did find but not much extra data:

http://www.wneg32.com/index.php/news/article/woman-hit-by-plane/276

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=203939

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14574823/detail.html

Scott, I'll try to upload a diagram to show where it likely happen. I'm betting he was taxiing too fast on the lesser desired taxiway. I'm also betting the "taking off on taxiway" comment was from an uneducated observer.
 
Here's a Google Sat Image.

At the top, far inside between 11 & 22 is Champion FBO. Taxiing south toward the runway intersection is the first taxiway to the left between the hangars and first row of parked aircraft. It's good for up to maybe a light twin but not recommended. The second taxiway is between the two rows of aircraft and is barely enough room for the 206. It's a tight fit. The last left is the main taxiway to 22 with plenty of room and what all aircraft should take except for parking. Large bizjets move along there just fine. It should be good since it complies with the future ILS installation.

I'm betting the guy took the second left and ended up between the planes. Like most airports, you'll see pilots out there with their planes doing cleaning or other general work. If you're not looking ahead, you won't see the other taxiway. I don't know this to be fact in the situation but I can't imagine another way for it to happen. The rest of the airport is so dang open, I have no explanation for why an accident could happen except for absolute carelessness.
 
For a minute there I thought you were talking about me. Last night I stood up with gusto right into a lowered C170 flap while working on our Ercoupe. Broke skin on top of my head. :hairraise:

smigaldi said:
2. "when he said the woman stepped in the path of his Piper aircraft." Why was she walking on a taxiway?
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Maybe she's related to the two women who forced my student to do a go-around because they were walking down a runway, one of them pushing a stroller.
 
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Don't feel too bad, Kate...

The last time we went to Pittsburgh, I was pre-flighting and my wife was maneuvering around me trying to load the plane. I had a ball-cap on at the time.

Well I sumped the right wing and was heading out of the hanger to look at the fuel in the light and I stepped around her and smack dab, face first, into the wing spar. I didn't see it cause of my hat...

I hit the spar so hard I bounced off and fell to the ground. For a minute we thought my nose was broken.

Not a great way to start a flight. Fortunately the rest of the trip was ... oh yeah, a living nightmare. Particularly when I crossed the approach paths both to BWI and Dullas...

Once we got west of Frederick it was great tho. :)
 
skyflyer8 said:
For a minute there I thought you were talking about me. Last night I stood up with gusto right into a lowered C170 flap while working on our Ercoupe. Broke skin on top of my head. :hairraise:
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I don't consider my preflights complete until I hit my head at least once. :)

Maybe she's related to the two women who forced my student to do a go-around because they were walking down a runway, one of them pushing a stroller.
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The interstate must have been closed. Talk about stupid! :rolleyes:
 
skyflyer8 said:
For a minute there I thought you were talking about me. Last night I stood up with gusto right into a lowered C170 flap while working on our Ercoupe. Broke skin on top of my head. :hairraise:

...
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Welcome to our world. Every Cessna is a hazard to us even if the flaps are up. :mad:

Those flaps must have gone pretty low. I would have thought you'd only have the risk on a Piper. :D

Oh. TOP of your head. We get the diamond tattoo on the forehead.
 
This was a Piper, she was walking, and she was hit in the head. I have to ask, how short was this woman?? The only thing that could hit you in the head would be a prop on a Piper. I don't think she would be alive if that were the case.
 
CapeCodJay said:
Joe you sure its real???
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Yes. You can see a longer version at the Alexis Park Inn site under "Plane 1, Reporter 0". The description:

"It would have been sometime during the (mid?) 1970s, when a local television news reporter by the name of Richard Wyatt was preparing an item for the forthcoming Weston-super-mare airshow (Weston is in Somerset, UK). One of the attractions was to be a "flour bombing" exhibition, where the
Piper Cub was to drop bags of flower on a target somewhere on the airfield. It was thought to be a good idea if Richard was to become the target for the news report. The result was as per the video, Richard was taken to hospital, where the injuries were found to be not life threatening. The Piper Cub landed without incident and was found to have a small dent in the wing tip where it had hit Richard's Head."

Richard Wyatt is still on the air doing the morning commute on the BBC's Bristol Radio. There's a bio of him here which includes a description of the incident.

Regards,
Joe
 
smigaldi said:
This was a Piper, she was walking, and she was hit in the head. I have to ask, how short was this woman?? The only thing that could hit you in the head would be a prop on a Piper.
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Hey, my Piper has high wings! :rolleyes:

Barb
 
This is the first I've heard of this story and I scan The Atlanta Urinal Constipation (online) daily. I wonder what the true story really is. It must have been a non event for no more outlets to pick it up.
 
Well Kenny, did you look at all of these ? One shows a Toga, and another one shows a Cherokee in the pictures.
Just had to add that.

Dave G. :blueplane:
 
I hate Cessna wings. We had an older 172 with the big droop tip STOL kit...I can't even tell you how many times I found that wing tip with the side of my head. Our mechanics were evil, too...I'm 6'3", they're all about 4' even, so they can walk around under 172/182 wings standing up...I can't. We all made fun of each other, as usual, and my jokes were usually about hight. Well, one day they had a 172 up on jacks and I was standing under its wings without ducking...until they dropped the jacks really fast. That one hurt, right on the top of the head.
 
Shipoke said:
Well Kenny, did you look at all of these ? One shows a Toga, and another one shows a Cherokee in the pictures.
Just had to add that.

Dave G. :blueplane:
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As long as there are idiots calling nearly high-wing plane a Cessna, nearly every low-wing plane a Piper as well as believe a C-152 is a threat to national security, I'll take airplane identifications in a newspaper with a grain of salt until they specify the exact model with a reasonable amount of detail.

So der! :p
 
KennyFlys said:
As long as there are idiots calling nearly high-wing plane a Cessna, nearly every low-wing plane a Piper as well as believe a C-152 is a threat to national security, I'll take airplane identifications in a newspaper with a grain of salt until they specify the exact model with a reasonable amount of detail.

So der! :p
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Here you go:

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 5197F Make/Model: PA28 Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
Date: 11/11/2007 Time: 2103
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: Serious Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: None
LOCATION
City: GAINESVILLE State: GA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
PEDISTRIAN SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES WHEN STRUCK BY THE WING OF THIS
AIRCRAFT WHILE WALKING ALONG THE AIRCRAFT PARKING AREA, UNKNOWN IF AIRCRAFT
WAS INTENDED FOR FLIGHT, GAINESVILLE, GA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 2 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 1 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER

FAA FSDO: COLLEGE PARK, GA (SO11) Entry date: 11/13/2007


Regards,
Joe
 
KennyFlys said:
As long as there are idiots calling nearly high-wing plane a Cessna, nearly every low-wing plane a Piper as well as believe a C-152 is a threat to national security, I'll take airplane identifications in a newspaper with a grain of salt until they specify the exact model with a reasonable amount of detail.

So der! :p
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Correction: Every plane is a Cessna. A two engine Cessna. A Cessna jet. They don't know from wings.
 
Well reading the prelim report that could just as easily be she didn't get well enough out of the way of the wing as he was taxiing
 
Since we holler "Clear Prop!" on startup, next thing ya know is we'll have to holler "DUCK!" as we taxi (unless you're taxiing a Grumman Goose) :)
 
mikea said:
Correction: Every plane is a Cessna. A two engine Cessna. A Cessna jet. They don't know from wings.
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No, no, no... ya got it all wrong...

All airliners are a "Boeing" and all business jets are a "Lear Jet."

So, does that make a BBJ a "Super Lear"? :)
 
Joe B said:
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
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How can this be unknown? Did they not interview the pilot?

Also no mention of a flight plan. But I guess we'll leave it up to the media to report that there was no flight plan.:rolleyes:
 
Richard O said:
How can this be unknown? Did they not interview the pilot?

Also no mention of a flight plan. But I guess we'll leave it up to the media to report that there was no flight plan.:rolleyes:
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We know the whole thing would not have happened if he had filed a flight plan and the controller tower was telling him where he should taxi on the tarmac
 
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