A tragic accident occurred at an airfield in Wichita, Kansas in the United States (US) when a woman was fatally injured after unintentionally backing into an active airplane propeller while taking photographs, according to local officials.
37-year-old Amanda Gallagher was at Cook Airfield with Air Capital Drop Zone, a skydiving company based in Kansas, on Saturday (26 Oct) when the accident took place.
She was taking photos of a group of jumpers boarding the plane when she accidentally stepped in front of an active plane propeller.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office reported that Ms Gallagher sustained critical injuries after the incident and was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly afterwards, reports NBC News.
The accident occurred after Ms Gallagher, an observer on a flight operated by Air Capital Drop Zone, had disembarked and was photographing the skydiving activities.
In a statement, Air Capital Drop Zone explained that Ms Gallagher, while capturing photos with her camera raised, inadvertently stepped backwards into the active propeller as the next group of skydivers was preparing to board.
“After the airplane landed, for unknown reasons, as the next group of jumpers were boarding, she moved in front of the wing,” the statement read.
This movement placed her in violation of basic safety protocols, according to the company.
Emergency responders arrived to find Ms Gallagher unresponsive. She was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Martin Myrtle, owner of Air Capital Drop Zone, expressed profound sadness over Ms Gallagher’s death, describing her as “beautiful inside and out” and a beloved part of the Drop Zone community.
“Her presence was welcomed, and she was loved,” Mr Myrtle said.
Cook Airfield. Source: NBC News
Cook Airfield shared its condolences on social media, urging followers to keep Ms Gallagher’s family and friends in their thoughts.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support her family with funeral expenses, remembering her as a kind and adventurous spirit who will be deeply missed by loved ones.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have both announced investigations into the incident to determine further details.
Also read: Ground Crew Worker Gets Sucked Into Plane Engine At Texas Airport, Investigations Ongoing
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Featured image adapted from Yahoo News and Cameris on Canva.
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