Stephanie Cosme, 32, was killed last year when she inadvertently walked into the rotating propeller of an aircraft in California

Stephanie Cosme, 32, was killed last year when she inadvertently walked into the rotating propeller of an aircraft in California

A US air force civilian contractor had become disoriented recording data at an airport in California last year when she walked into a jet’s rotating propeller and was killed, officials said on Friday.

In a statement outlining the findings of a report into the contractor’s death, the air force materiel command said that 32-year-old Stephanie Cosme was mortally injured on 7 September when she inadvertently walked into the rotating propeller of an MQ-9A that was parked at Gray Butte airfield.

  • EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
    1237·
    6 months ago

    Why was a civilian allowed to record around active jets and expected to safely lead themselves? Pokémon go had to warn people not to walk off cliffs and into traffic, but the Air Force is accessory to this without having someone to watch her movements and nothing?

    • bhmnscmm@lemmy.world
      383·
      6 months ago

      Her job was to be on active tarmac near running aircraft. She isn’t some random person that shouldn’t have been there.

      It appears she wasn’t paying attention and people tried to stop her from walking into the propeller.

      “Others began shouting and waving to get [Cosme’s] attention as well,” the report said. It added: “Without looking up to determine her position relative to the aircraft, [Cosme] proceeded to walk directly into the propeller … sustaining fatal injuries.”

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      212·
      6 months ago

      Why was a civilian allowed to record around active jets and expected to safely lead themselves?

      I mean, I walk on a sidewalk right next to traffic. I’ve worked with power tools. People work around heavy machinery.

      We come in close proximity to things that have enough energy to kill us on a not-irregular basis.

      • TyrionsNose@lemmy.world
        21·
        6 months ago

        I think people underestimate how many civilians work alongside our men and women in uniform. Walk out to any hangar on a base in the US and it will be close to half and half. If it’s test facility it may be more civilians.

      • EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
        13·
        6 months ago

        Cars are machinery the public is integrated with and understands the dangers of - she can’t be expected to navigate distracted as though she’s trained to be around active jets. It is not the same thing at all as being near the street.

    • eardon@lemmy.ca
      61·
      6 months ago

      You are correct, but the snowball effect has taken hold so it’s up to people smarter than the average lemmy/redditor to do things right.