Woman’s Arm Cut Off by Propeller on Plane Her Husband Was Flying

The woman reportedly walked to the front of the plane while the propeller was still running.

A woman’s arm was cut off by the propeller of a private plane her husband was piloting, The Miami Herald reports. The couple was taking off from the Key West International airport on Saturday night when the incident occurred. Walter Gray, 46, was trying to taxi, but the plane, a single-propeller Cessna 172S rented out of Fort Meyers, wouldn’t move. Looking for the issue, he exited the plane while it was still running to check if the wheels were still in their chocks—wedges of sturdy material put against a vehicle’s wheels to keep it from moving.

His wife, Rebecca Lynn Gray, 45, also exited the plane, reportedly against her husband’s wishes. She walked the front of the plane to remove the chock on the front tire. With the plane still running, she then came in contact with the propeller, severing her arm. Her foot was also caught in the propeller, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s spokesperson. The woman was airlifted to a Miami-area hospital where she is in stable condition, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.