DERBY, KS – The serene atmosphere of a Kansas airfield was shattered on Saturday by a fatal accident involving Amanda Gallagher, 37, of Wichita. The Wichita resident’s life was cut short when she accidentally backed into an aircraft propeller while attempting to take photographs, an incident sparking grief and reflection within the close-knit community.
Witnesses say Gallagher was photographing a skydiving event hosted by Air Capital Drop Zone. Unexpectedly, she moved into a restricted area in front of the plane’s wing, a breach of safety guidelines that proved fatal. With a camera poised for the perfect shot, she unwittingly edged back into the spinning blades of the propeller.
Efforts by emergency responders to save her were unsuccessful, and Gallagher succumbed to her severe injuries shortly after being hospitalized. The tragedy has left a void at the Air Capital Drop Zone community, with its owner, Martin Myrtle, expressing heartfelt remembrance of her vibrant spirit.
Cook Airfield, a hub for the skydiving community located near Derby, mourned publicly and requested support for Gallagher’s grieving family through social media channels. A GoFundMe page, created to assist with funeral expenses, highlighted her adventurous and creative spirit, describing her as a loving and dearly missed family member.
The FAA and NTSB have initiated investigations to analyze the immediate causes and contributing factors of the accident, aiming to prevent similar future incidents and ensure airfield safety remains paramount.