College Student Killed By Spinning Propeller Of Plane He Rented For Date

A college student was out on a date in Georgia when he walked into the still-spinning propeller of a small plane and lost his life.

Sani Aliyu, 21, a sophomore at Georgia Southern University, had safely arrived at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport on Sunday night with three other passengers when he was hit twice in the head by the aircraft's propeller.

The Nigerian-origin student had rented the plane to take him and his date to nearby Savannah for dinner. He was also friends with the pilot and co-pilot, the New York Post reported.

The four occupants traveled in the single-engine Cessna from Statesboro, where the university's main campus is situated, to Savannah about 55 miles away. Following the dinner date, the plane returned safely to its destination and landed around 10:35 p.m.

"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 walked toward the back of 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 Coroner Jake Futch told Statesboro Herald in a Tuesday report.

Aliyu died at the scene, and his identity was released Monday. "Nobody is really at fault or anything, it was an accident..." said Capt. Todd Hutchens of the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office.

A college spokesperson told the New York Post that the victim of the freak accident was a management major and a resident of Atlanta.

"We were deeply saddened to hear about the traffic incident that involved one of our students Sunday night," Dr. Aileen Dowell, GSU's dean of students, said in a statement to the outlet.

"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," the statement added.

Steve Kulm, public affairs specialist with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.