A civilian contractor for the U.S. Air Force died at a California airport last year when he was struck by the propeller of a spinning jet and became disoriented while recording data, officials said Friday.
in statement Outline the findings report Following the contractor’s death, Air Force Materiel Command said 32-year-old Stephanie Cosme was fatally injured when she accidentally struck the spinning propeller of an MQ-9A parked at Gray Butte Airfield on Sept. 7. Announced.
report explained The MQ-9A is an “armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft used primarily against dynamic execution targets and secondarily as an intelligence gathering asset.”
At the time of his murder, Cosme was employed by Sumalia Systems, Inc., providing test support services to the Air Force’s Life Cycle Management Center, one of six centers reporting to Air Force Materiel Command. .
The Air Force Materiel Command Accident Investigation Board said in its findings that it found two causes of the accident.
“First, the test engineers were given incorrect instructions or training on how to obtain telemetry readings when approaching the MQ-9A while the engine was running,” the commission said. Second, she lost her situational awareness while walking around the accident aircraft and taking telemetry readings with her handheld measurement device. ”
report Said Cosme said, “He was looking down at the testing device the entire time, and was probably pressing a button to keep the backlight on.” She added that someone started walking toward Cosme and “screamed and waved her arms and tried to grab her.” [her] Note”.
“Others started shouting and waving to get him.” [Cosme’s] Please exercise caution as well,” the report states. He added: “I didn’t even look up to see her position in relation to the plane. [Cosme] He crashed into the propeller and was fatally injured. ”
In a statement, Air Force Materiel Command identified two factors that “significantly contributed” to Cosme’s death. One of these was the apparent lack of communication between the contractor’s test team and ground support personnel, as well as the fact that the test was rushed on the same day due to the accident. Previous delays and cancellations.
The commission also conducted a simulation to recreate Cosme’s fatal accident and said that when she looked at the rear of the plane from where she approached, the rotating propellers were not visible.
Cosme’s survivors include her parents, two brothers, her fiancé and stepdaughter.
herlegacy.com Obituary “The center of Stephanie’s world was her family,” he says.
“She was known for her passion for crafts, baking, aviation, and all things weird and unusual,” her obituary said. “Whether she was planning a party or working on her art projects, she approached everything she did with dedication and enthusiasm, leaving a lasting impact on those she met. I did.”
