"Air Force Contractor's Fatal Accident Linked to Loss of Situational Awareness"

A California contractor, Stephanie Cosme, was killed after walking into a plane's moving propeller due to inadequate training, poor lighting, noisy and poor conditions, and a rush to finish testing, according to a United States Air Force accident investigation report. The report found that Cosme was incorrectly instructed or trained on how to take telemetry readings when approaching the aircraft while the engine was running, leading to a loss of situational awareness. Additionally, there was a clear lack of communication among the contractor test team and ground support personnel, and the tests conducted on the day of the incident were rushed.