A US Air Drive civilian contractor was killed when she walked right into a drone’s rotating propeller at a California airfield — after dropping “situational consciousness” whereas glued to a data-recording system, officers say.
Stephanie Cosme, 32, was fatally injured when she “inadvertently” stumbled into the transferring propeller of a parked MQ-9A Reaper drone at Grey Butte Airfield on Sept. 7, in keeping with a brand new assertion from Air Drive Materiel Command summing up the findings of a report on the accident.
“With out trying as much as decide her place relative to the plane, [Cosme] proceeded to stroll immediately into the propeller of the [aircraft] sustaining deadly accidents,” said the last investigation report launched Friday.
In his assertion of opinion, Accident Investigation Board President Brig. Gen. Lance French recognized two causes for the accident.
First, Cosme was incorrectly instructed or educated on the way to take knowledge readings when approaching a drone whereas its engine is working.
Second, “she misplaced situational consciousness” whereas strolling across the unmanned plane taking readings with a hand-held measurement system, the report said.
French additionally singled out two further elements he stated “considerably contributed to the mishap,” together with a transparent lack of communication between the contractor take a look at workforce and floor help staff and the truth that the assessments performed on Sept. 7 had been “rushed” due to earlier delays.
Cosme, who was employed by the corporate Sumaria Techniques, LLC, which supplies take a look at help companies for the Air Drive, took measurements with an influence meter after which proceeded to stroll towards the rear of the drone, “trying down on the testing system the entire time.
She additionally “seemed to be urgent buttons, presumably to maintain the backlight on,” the report stated, describing how she was “centered in on that meter.”
As Cosme inched nearer to the whirring propeller, her co-workers started “shouting and waving” to attract her consideration, to no avail.
After the impression, the crew chief was heard yelling over the radio, “Kill, kill, kill kill!” earlier than one of many staff was seen on the drone’s entrance digital camera working from proper to left, presumably towards the Reaper’s kill swap.
Cosme was discovered bleeding from wounds to her head and left arm and was unresponsive however nonetheless respiratory. She was airlifted by a helicopter to a hospital however died a bit over an hour later.
As a part of the probe into the accident, Air power officers tried to duplicate the sequence of occasions on the identical location, with a Reaper drone’s engine working on the identical energy settings, in the identical twilight lighting circumstances and below the stadium lighting that as current Sept. 7.
The re-enactment led to the conclusion that the spinning propeller was not seen from Cosme’s viewpoint, and she or he most probably by no means heard anybody shouting warnings over the roar of the engine.
Cosme of Palmdale, Calif., was described in an obituary as “a cherished daughter, sister, fiancé, mom, and good friend” who “touched the hearts of everybody she encountered along with her heat, kindness, and unwavering love.”
“She was identified for her ardour for crafting, baking, aviation, and all issues unusual and strange,” the obituary continued.
The girl was survived by her dad and mom, two siblings, fiancé and stepdaughter.
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