G'day gang,
About two hundred kilometres to the north of me, a gentleman crashed his model that was running two 10s packs and swinging a 24" prop.
He was wearing a neck strap and did not think to put the TX down before bending over to try and move the model.
As he bent down he somehow bumped the throttle and the motor burst into life. A silent electric motor is a dangerous electric motor.
The prop neatly removed his little finger at the base of the palm, his ring finger at the first knuckle, his middle finger at the second knuckle and took the tip off his index finger. He also badly cut his thumb. All on the right hand. He had also received some very bad cuts to his wrist as well as cuts on his left hand and arm.
He was some distance from his vehicle and managed to stagger back to get his cell phone. Somehow he manged to dial the emergency number and contact the ambulance service. The operator [thankfully in this case] misheard him, and thinking he had been hit by a full sized aircraft propeller [might as well been a full sized one], promptly dispatched the rescue helicopter to the scene.
The paramedics were stunned to see how much damage a 'toy' airplane had done.
If the dispatcher had not misunderstood the original message, the paramedics related back that he may well of bled out before a ground based ambulance could have got to him.
Also grandchildren can be a hazard. A well known member of the club next to us to the south [and often flies at our field] was showing his grandson [about four years old] granddads new plane.
A fifty cc 3D model.
Granddad started it up and the grandson became exited and rushed forward. Trying to stop the GS, GD lunged at the child but also bumped the throttle. The model surged forward and the prop hit GD in the inner thigh region, nearly cutting the femoral artery. It was a close run thing. Luckily his, um how to say it....twins only got a hair cut!!
An ambulance was called and was on the scene withing a couple of minutes. All the time a lot of red stuff was leaking out. The ambulance officer came in assessed the injury and run back to get further equipment. On the way back into the shed, he forgot to duck under a branch and knocked himself out.
Two more ambulances were called and arrived in due course to find their officer out like a light and a very grey looking patient about to pass out as well.
Eventually order was restored and both the ambulance officer and the GD were taken off to hospital. Both made a full recovery and GD now never starts his models in the shed.
As can been seen, both incidents were simple. Too simple and both could have been avoided and both could have had a tragic outcome. Both of these accidents were published in our state body newsletter.
Do not be like one of the members in my club who said at a general meeting about safety........ "who cares about safety, accidents are going to happen anyway!"
Guess who nearly got his head knocked off two weeks ago by a pilot who agreed with him!
At our annual general last night, when safety issues were mentioned, he never even looked up from the table. Karma reigns supreme!
I also do what Rick mentions. It takes, what, thirty seconds to do AND I remove the prop EVERY TIME.
Take care, be prop aware!!!!!!
Regards and respect
Daryl
About two hundred kilometres to the north of me, a gentleman crashed his model that was running two 10s packs and swinging a 24" prop.
He was wearing a neck strap and did not think to put the TX down before bending over to try and move the model.
As he bent down he somehow bumped the throttle and the motor burst into life. A silent electric motor is a dangerous electric motor.
The prop neatly removed his little finger at the base of the palm, his ring finger at the first knuckle, his middle finger at the second knuckle and took the tip off his index finger. He also badly cut his thumb. All on the right hand. He had also received some very bad cuts to his wrist as well as cuts on his left hand and arm.
He was some distance from his vehicle and managed to stagger back to get his cell phone. Somehow he manged to dial the emergency number and contact the ambulance service. The operator [thankfully in this case] misheard him, and thinking he had been hit by a full sized aircraft propeller [might as well been a full sized one], promptly dispatched the rescue helicopter to the scene.
The paramedics were stunned to see how much damage a 'toy' airplane had done.
If the dispatcher had not misunderstood the original message, the paramedics related back that he may well of bled out before a ground based ambulance could have got to him.
Also grandchildren can be a hazard. A well known member of the club next to us to the south [and often flies at our field] was showing his grandson [about four years old] granddads new plane.
A fifty cc 3D model.
Granddad started it up and the grandson became exited and rushed forward. Trying to stop the GS, GD lunged at the child but also bumped the throttle. The model surged forward and the prop hit GD in the inner thigh region, nearly cutting the femoral artery. It was a close run thing. Luckily his, um how to say it....twins only got a hair cut!!
An ambulance was called and was on the scene withing a couple of minutes. All the time a lot of red stuff was leaking out. The ambulance officer came in assessed the injury and run back to get further equipment. On the way back into the shed, he forgot to duck under a branch and knocked himself out.
Two more ambulances were called and arrived in due course to find their officer out like a light and a very grey looking patient about to pass out as well.
Eventually order was restored and both the ambulance officer and the GD were taken off to hospital. Both made a full recovery and GD now never starts his models in the shed.
As can been seen, both incidents were simple. Too simple and both could have been avoided and both could have had a tragic outcome. Both of these accidents were published in our state body newsletter.
Do not be like one of the members in my club who said at a general meeting about safety........ "who cares about safety, accidents are going to happen anyway!"
Guess who nearly got his head knocked off two weeks ago by a pilot who agreed with him!
At our annual general last night, when safety issues were mentioned, he never even looked up from the table. Karma reigns supreme!
I also do what Rick mentions. It takes, what, thirty seconds to do AND I remove the prop EVERY TIME.
Take care, be prop aware!!!!!!
Regards and respect
Daryl
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