Sani Aliyu, a 21-year-old Nigerian student based in the United States, has died after being hit by the propeller of a private plane he had rented for a dinner date.
The Georgia Southern University student died on Sunday night, October 16, in front of his date after walking into the spinning propeller of a small plane on the way back from a date.
Aliyu had hired a plane to take him and his date to Savannah for dinner, which is around 55 miles from Statesboro, the main campus of the university, where he was studying.
After the date night, the plane landed back safely at the Statesboro-Bulloch County airport. However, while exiting the plane, Aliyu headed to the front, where he was struck twice by the plane’s propeller on the back of his head.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport.
“They flew to Savannah to go on a date, flew back, landed at the Statesboro Airport, and the young lady got off the plane, and he got off the airplane and walked toward the front of the plane. And when he did, the propeller hit him.” Bulloch County Coroner Jake Futch told Statesboro Herald.
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said the accident happened when the aircraft had “taxied onto the ramp area” and was left stood still around 10.35pm on Sunday.
The single-engine Cessna was carrying four passengers on the plane, the pilot, the co-pilot along with Aliyu and his date.
A spokesperson for the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, Todd Hutchens, said the incident was an accident and no one was at fault, “Nobody is really at fault of anything. It was an accident.” He said.
