At about 12:30 PM, Costales got out of his Piper PA 28 Cherokee aircraft to assist another flight instructor and his student with fastening the canopy of their PiperSport aircraft. An aircraft canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of some types of aircraft. As Costales got out of his aircraft and walked toward the other aircraft, he was struck by his aircraft?s propeller. The student pilot in the PiperSport aircraft called 911 but Costales was killed instantly. The airport was then shut down for a couple of hours as investigators tried to figure out what caused this horrific event.

Normal operating procedures call for when an aircraft has only one pilot at the controls and the pilot is going to exit the aircraft, the pilot must shut down the engine before exiting the aircraft, especially at a run-up area of the airport when the aircraft if facing the wind. At this spot on the airport, wind shift and wind speed can change. The aircraft break can come loose from its break or the aircraft can be jolted from its position. 

Costales had been employed by Beverly Flight Center as their head flight instructor. People who knew him said he was always at the aircraft teaching and flying and he loved flying, "He was a great guy, loved the airport, and loved his job." Officials report his death appears to be an accident but an autopsy will be performed.