Photo: File: Shutterstock
Sani Aliyu, 21, rented an airplane from the Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport for a dinner date on Sunday, Oct. 16, Bulloch County Coroner Jake Futch said, according to Macon, Georgia’sThe Telegraph.
Aliyu — a sophomore management major at Georgia Southern University — flew on a Cessna plane to Savannah with a young woman. The Georgia town is a little more than an hour away from the airport, per the outlet.
Futch said that once the pair returned from Savannah around 10:30 p.m., the unidentified woman went to the rear of the plane.
“(Aliyu) got out and walked toward the front,” Futch toldThe Telegraph. “And when he did, the propeller hit him in the head, killing him instantly.”
Futch did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The Bulloch County Emergency Medical Service arrived at the scene with an ambulance, however, Aliyu had already died after being hit twice with the propeller, Futch said, according toStatesboro Herald.
“We can confirm an incident occurred, and that appropriate investigations are underway,” the Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport also tells PEOPLE.
Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office’s captain Todd Hutchens toldStatesboro Heraldthat Aliyu, who lived in Atlanta, was acquainted with the pilot and co-pilot. Other than Aliyu, no one else on the plane has been identified.
RELATED VIDEO: Man Dies in ‘Tragic Accident’ at Construction Site While Grandfather Was Drilling: ‘Killed Almost Instantly’
“Nobody is really at fault or anything, it was an accident, so we just have to communicate all of our information with them,” Hutchens said.
FAA spokesperson Steve Kulm told the outlet that the incident happened “after the plane taxied onto the ramp area.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates.”
Addressing the death in a statement, Georgia Southern University’s dean of students and associate vice president, Dr. Aileen C. Dowell, said, perStatesboro Herald: “We were deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident that involved one of our students Sunday night. 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 university did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
