Fatal Injury: hit by the prop

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 at 18:32:26 in message
. net, Hilton
wrote:
When I solo a student, we taxi to a not busy spot, shutdown, chat about what
we had just done, what he/she should do, how it'll feel different without me
there, sign the papers, emphasize that go-arounds are good, and to go have
fun and fly the numbers. Then I hop out, and the student starts running the
checklist(s) from the engine start. Yes, it costs them an extra $5, but
let's put things into perspective here. [OK, now that I have that pet peeve
off my chest... ]

When I had lessons many years ago, it always amazed me (it also made me
very careful) that my instructor, from day 1, put his life in my hands
by putting me at the controls while he hand propped the engine. He gave
clear instructions but I set the throttle while he turned the engine
over, then I set things for a start and switched on at the call. If the
engine had a miss-start I did as I was told again!

When I soloed he got out of the aircraft on the other side of the field
with me already lined up for take off (a grass field) with the engine
running, and walked back while I flew my circuit.

Your method was better, but I finished up extremely wary of turning
props.

Oh, I should have mentioned that the engine had no starter anyway.
--
David CL Francis

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 at 06:57:38 in message
.com,
" wrote:

This reminds me of a time when I was a kid and watched a friend of mine
stick his fingers into the prop swath of a model airplane. The prop cut
his finger to the bone. I asked him what happened, and he said "I guess
I just forgot it was there because I couldn't see it, and then just
reached in to adjust the idle screw"

Putting your fingers into the prop on models is not uncommon. Many years
ago when there were only two of us at the flying site the other guy did
this and I had to drive him to the nearest hospital.

I had my own rules:

1. Keep your head out the plane of the prop disc, especially if
running at high power.
2. Keep all of you behind the plane of the disc when making
adjustments to the mixture.
3. Only move very slowly.

If you move your fingers slowly and from behind and they inadvertently
enter the prop disc, then you may only receive a slight bruise and a
fright as the blades will tend to throw your fingers back out.


--
David CL Francis

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:06:54 GMT, David CL Francis
wrote:

If you move your fingers slowly and from behind and they inadvertently
enter the prop disc, then you may only receive a slight bruise and a
fright as the blades will tend to throw your fingers back out.

Likely. I gave myself a bad brush burn at the base of my thumb by
slowly letting it drift into a 14x6" prop from behind. I can still
the scar in the right light and with my reading glasses on. It's
a little reminder to me of how not to keep my hands intact. (

Marty

Hey guys, I'm sorry I posted the anecdote below in this thread.
I forgot which group I was reading. My story applies to RC
models, not full-scale. Mea culpa.

Marty

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:06:54 GMT, David CL Francis
wrote:

If you move your fingers slowly and from behind and they inadvertently
enter the prop disc, then you may only receive a slight bruise and a
fright as the blades will tend to throw your fingers back out.

Likely. I gave myself a bad brush burn at the base of my thumb by
slowly letting it drift into a 14x6" prop from behind. I can still
the scar in the right light and with my reading glasses on. It's
a little reminder to me of how not to keep my hands intact. (

Marty

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 01:06:54 GMT, David CL Francis
wrote:

When I had lessons many years ago, it always amazed me (it also made me
very careful) that my instructor, from day 1, put his life in my hands
by putting me at the controls while he hand propped the engine

This is still routine, and it still amazes me.

Personally, if someone asks me for a prop, I do the job from behind,
just as I do when I'm starting the plane away from my home field.

That way, I might get run over, but that's survivable.

We did have one instructor for a year or two who didn't untie the tail
until she had the engine running. Again, the worst that could have
happened is that the student taxied off without her.

Worse yet, everyone seems to use different language for the calls,
which are made by the propper. I like BRAKES--CRACKED--HOT, because
it's what my first instructor said, and it does sound urgent. The old
timers say BRAKES--CRACKED--CONTACT. And I also hear BRAKES ON AND ON.

Whenever my granddaughter sees someone trying to start a lawnmower or
such, she cries BRAKES--CRACKED--HOT!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

Hey guys, I'm sorry I posted the anecdote below in this thread.
I forgot which group I was reading. My story applies to RC
models, not full-scale. Mea culpa.

Hey, it's applicable.

I stopped a prop with my index finger on an RC plane, many moons ago. It
was the dumbest thing I've ever done, and those three scars on my knuckle
serve as a permanent reminder that one should never, ever let your attention
wander whilst around spinning propellers.

Even little ones.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote in message
news:BkYId.5060$BL3.4545@trnddc01...

disc would not be visible from the back. A 172 with the high wing
makes stumbling into the prop while exiting the plane fairly easy. At
least easier than a low wing.

Say What???

You climb out of a 172 and the door is between you and the whirly thing.
Close the door and the wing strut is between you and the whirly thing. You
are talking about the "Cessna 172," right? You couldn't "stumble into the
prop while exiting" even if you were totally s###-faced, and three times
over the legal limit.

This guy is another for the Darwin awards, fancy walking into a propeller

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:ypsJd.28728$EG1.15863@attbi_s53...
Hey guys, I'm sorry I posted the anecdote below in this thread.
I forgot which group I was reading. My story applies to RC
models, not full-scale. Mea culpa.

Hey, it's applicable.

I stopped a prop with my index finger on an RC plane, many moons ago. It
was the dumbest thing I've ever done, and those three scars on my knuckle
serve as a permanent reminder that one should never, ever let your
attention wander whilst around spinning propellers.

Even little ones.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


I did the same thing when I was about 6 years old.

Sheepish Grin

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

In article ,
"Dave" wrote:

"Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote in message
news:BkYId.5060$BL3.4545@trnddc01...

disc would not be visible from the back. A 172 with the high wing
makes stumbling into the prop while exiting the plane fairly easy. At
least easier than a low wing.

Say What???

You climb out of a 172 and the door is between you and the whirly thing.
Close the door and the wing strut is between you and the whirly thing. You
are talking about the "Cessna 172," right? You couldn't "stumble into the
prop while exiting" even if you were totally s###-faced, and three times
over the legal limit.

This guy is another for the Darwin awards, fancy walking into a propeller



I went out for my 2nd or 3rd flying lesson and was waiting in the FBO
for my CFI to show up. A 172 arrived and taxied to the fuel pumps, I
stepped out to watch. The aircraft (two occupants) came to a stop with
the engine running. The pilot got out, ducked under the strut and
walked into the back of the prop. It cut him into 4 distinctly seperate
pieces.

I'm cautious around propellors, but I "hot load" passengers as a normal
part of my day.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

Not to worry...

I am a member of this club as well.....

Dave


On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:14:40 -0700, "Jay Beckman"
wrote:

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:ypsJd.28728$EG1.15863@attbi_s53...
Hey guys, I'm sorry I posted the anecdote below in this thread.
I forgot which group I was reading. My story applies to RC
models, not full-scale. Mea culpa.

Hey, it's applicable.

I stopped a prop with my index finger on an RC plane, many moons ago. It
was the dumbest thing I've ever done, and those three scars on my knuckle
serve as a permanent reminder that one should never, ever let your
attention wander whilst around spinning propellers.

Even little ones.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


I did the same thing when I was about 6 years old.

Sheepish Grin

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ