A college student died after being struck by the propeller of a small plane as he disembarked at an airport after returning from a date in southeast Georgia, authorities said. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Board are investigating the death Sunday night at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport, FAA spokesman Steve Kulm said.

Sani Aliyu, of Atlanta, and a young woman had flown on the single-engine Cessna to nearby Savannah and back on a date, Bulloch County Coroner Jake Futch told the Statesboro Herald. He said the plane landed safely on the return trip to Statesboro.

The woman "got off the plane and walked toward the back of the plane," Futch said, "and he got off the airplane and walked toward the front of the plane, and when he did, the propeller hit him."

Aliyu, 21, was a sophomore enrolled at Georgia Southern University, school spokeswoman Melanie Simon said.

A pilot and co-pilot had flown the couple, said Capt. Todd Hutchens of the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office. He said deputies were sharing information they gathered with the FAA and NTSB.

"Nobody is really at fault or anything," Hutchens said. "It was an accident."

Dr. Aileen Dowell, Georgia Southern University's dean of students, said in a statement to the Statesboro Herald that the school was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"I have already been in touch with his family and professors, and we have mobilized all available resources to provide counseling and any other assistance the university can give," Dowell said.

In July, a 22-year-old British tourist in Greece was reportedly killed after being hit by the propeller of a helicopter.

First published on October 19, 2022 / 9:27 AM

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