A 37-year-old Kansas woman was killed in an accident on Saturday when she backed into a plane’s spinning propeller while taking photos, officials said.
In a statement shared on social media, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said Amanda Gallagher was at Air Capital Drop Zone, a skydiving center on Cook Airfield in Wichita, when the tragedy occurred.
Police said the woman “made contact with a grounded and stationary, but still running plane, and received critical injuries” around 2:40 p.m.
Gallagher was taken to Wesley Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead, the Sheriff’s Office said.
According to a statement released by Air Capital Drop Zone, Gallagher had boarded the plane as an observer to take photos, and rode the airplane back down.
“After the airplane landed, for unknown reasons, as the next group of jumpers were boarding, she moved in front of the wing, a violation of basic safety procedures,” company owner Martin Myrtle said.
“With her camera up to shoot photos as she did so, she stepped back slightly moving toward and into the spinning propeller.”
Myrtle described Gallagher as beautiful “inside and out.”
“Her presence at the DZ was welcomed, she was loved,” he added.
Cook Airfield, a privately-owned airport that houses the skydiving company, also released a statement on social media.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the young lady who died yesterday after a tragic accident with an airplane propeller on Cook Airfield,” a spokesperson said.
“Just please keep her family, her friends and her Air Capital Drop Zone family in your prayers and thoughts.”
Police said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified of the incident.
From Gallagher’s social media, it is clear that skydiving and photography were her two greatest passions.
“Amanda passed away in a very sad accident, doing what she loved, skydiving and taking pictures,” said Abbey Charboneau, Gallagher’s sister-in-law, who set up a GoFundMe page to gather donations to cover the funeral expenses. So far, more than $19,000 has been raised.
“Amanda Gallagher was kind, adventurous, creative and beautiful inside and out,” Charboneau wrote on the fundraiser page. “She was a loving daughter, sister, aunt and friend and will be greatly missed.”
Gallagher leaves behind two parents and her brother.