STATESBORO, Ga. –
A university student died after being struck by the propeller of a small plane as he disembarked at an airport in southeast Georgia, authorities mentioned.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Board are investigating the demise Sunday evening at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport, FAA spokesman Steve Kulm mentioned.
Sani Aliyu, of Atlanta, and a younger lady had flown on the single-engine Cessna to close by Savannah and again on a date, Bulloch County Coroner Jake Futch informed the Statesboro Herald. He mentioned the plane landed safely on the return journey to Statesboro.
The lady “received off the plane and walked towards the again of the plane,” Futch mentioned, “and he received off the airplane and walked towards the entrance of the plane, and when he did, the propeller hit him.”
Aliyu was a sophomore enrolled at Georgia Southern University, faculty spokeswoman Melanie Simon mentioned.
A pilot and co-pilot had flown the couple, mentioned Capt. Todd Hutchens of the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office. He mentioned deputies had been sharing data they gathered with the FAA and NTSB.
“Nobody is de facto at fault or something,” Hutchens mentioned. “It was an accident.”