Bad Accident

[Grossman56]

Well, thank God for people like that being around for when the do do hits the fan. Maybe get the Firehouse crowd into R/C flying!

Grossman56

[CT]

Thanks guys, Its funny but being a hardcore flyer,one week afer the incident I took my cub to the local middle school to see if I could fly with my arm in a splint. The splint was elongated through my palm which hampered use, so I went home and used my dremel to saw off this part and proceeded to return to the filed. While flying a young guy came onto the filed and introduced himself as John, one of the paramedics who was at the scene, and was curious to see if it was me flying. Needless to say I was floored by this and thanked him profusely. He stated that they normally do not see the results of their patients from being first responders, and was pretty amazed I was back flying, a couple weeks later I brought a couple pizzas to the whole firehouse but unfortunatley John was not there. Everything is good now but the effect of any traumatic event is burned into my head. I now will not stand, kneel in front of any hot plane for any reason, and even when anywhere near a propellor I get instant flashbacks. Needless to say i have grown my fleet of jets since then!!!

[Pauly]

We all sometime get in hurry and ready to get airborn as quick as possible and things like this can hurt us all. We've all been guilty of it. It may not of got us like CT, but there are many things that we all have done whether it involves flying or not. We just need to take the time and slow down and think before we act. That being said we need to remember when we get on the highway going to the flying field and home. CT I'm glad to hear you are on the road to recovery and Happy Flying to you.

[Pauly]

Hey CT,
Another thanks for sharing some insight into what can become a gruesome encounter with a prop, no matter what powers it. At our club field, we've also had several similar mishaps. I have a very simple technique that I've used for over 20yrs now that some of the other club members have adopted & were glad they did. I always use a neckstrap & know that a Tx can swing around when bending down to pick up a plane or disconnect the battery. That is usually the greatest chance that the throttle can be engaged if not being very careful & having the Tx swing back into your body & push the throttle to full. As soon as I have landed & taxied back, I engage the rubber band. If I have to go onto the field to retrieve the plane, I immediately engage the rubber band. Again, quite simple & works. Here's a couple pics....hope it may help the forum members here.

Denny

Yorkie, that is a simple yet awesome setup that can save us all! Thank You for sharing it with us.

[jackcutrone]

Good info in that booklet dww

[dwwpilot]

http://www.bleedingcontrol.org/~/med...20booklet.ashx

[PappaBear]

Hello Jackcutrone


"Recently started flying nitro's and now I have to retrain myself so that I remove the strap from my neck before I start the prop. Have this horrible vision of the engine starting, the strap getting caught in the prop and my head being pulled into it before I can react."

What you suggest above I've known happen. Never have TX neck straps or loose clothing anywhere near rotating propellers.

Martin

[jackcutrone]

After a couple of incidents, thankfully without any bad consequences, where I had the TX swinging from the strap around my neck and accidentally hit the throttle while carrying a plane, I now make it a practice to disconnect the strap from the TX and set the TX down on a flight stand before I pick up the plane or heli. I can't accidentally hit the throttle or turn off the kill switch if the TX is somewhere else.

Recently started flying nitro's and now I have to retrain myself so that I remove the strap from my neck before I start the prop. Have this horrible vision of the engine starting, the strap getting caught in the prop and my head being pulled into it before I can react.

[OV10]

I have a DX8 - G2. How do you get it to do that? At what point does it announce it? As soon as you turn the TX on?

XV..........it is done in the similar manner that you would assign voice commands for gear up/down or landing/take off flaps etcetera and so on.
Anytime that you have a voice command assigned to a switch when you first turn the Tx on it will announce the present position of those assigned switches and at any time that you change any switch position that has a voice assignment while the Tx is on. Voices are accessed and configured via 'System Sounds' under 'System Settings'.
That's about the best I can direct you without actually copy n paste the manual..........not:p

[PappaBear]

Hello CT,

Thank you for relating the incident with everyone, and I'm pleased you are on the mend. I can tell so many stories and incidents involving rotating propellers. Reading about someone else's experience is a wakeup call not to become over confident and complacent with propellers and motors. Whenever you are working on a motor or making any sort of adjustment, always remove the prop.

If you are running the motor with the prop on. ALWAYS have someone else hold the model and have everyone else who may be watch stand behind the model. If a high speed rotating prop should come off a motor it will always fly forward. Remember it is a screw and as such it will move forward.

Another point to be careful of, is your TX neck-strap if you use one. It may be caught around the throttle lever of the TX and if you pick up your TX by the neck-strap it will open the throttle and again another accident.

Rotating propellers do not differentiate between skin and bone, they keep going.

Martin.

[xviper]

I have 'Bitchin Betty' on the DX9 announcing both those statements every time my designated throttle lock switch is engaged.

I have a DX8 - G2. How do you get it to do that? At what point does it announce it? As soon as you turn the TX on?

[Pheonix]

So happy that you are fine now. I had a similar accident but without the injury. I accidentally hit the throttle one day and the plane took of of course. No one was close by. Thank God for the little ditch. I lost the plane but it could have been much worse. I use a throttle kill and the rubber band method now. God bless for a speedy recovery. Safety first always.

[OV10]

Verbally announcing "Throttle Lock is On", "Throttle Lock is Off" and similar statements to myself and those around me help keep us all aware of what's going on.

I have 'Bitchin Betty' on the DX9 announcing both those statements every time my designated throttle lock switch is engaged.

[Alpha]

CT, I'm glad you're on the mend, and thank you for your poignant warning. I program throttle cut on all my models, as the first thing I do on the radio before anything else. Verbally announcing "Throttle Lock is On", "Throttle Lock is Off" and similar statements to myself and those around me help keep us all aware of what's going on.

[Grossman56]

CT, glad to hear you're on the mend, but what a terrible thing to have to go through. Denny, I'm going to adopt your idea to my radio as well. Even though I have a switch dedicated to throttle kill, I had an incident, thankfully with no physical injuries, just my pride I guess.
I usually pack two planes to the field to fly, one goes into the back seat and one in the box of the truck. Lately, I've been taking the Bearcat and one of the 1400 mm birds. The Bearcat, being smaller and therefore easier to fit, went in the back seat. This time, however, I thought I'd fold the L/G to make it even easier, so I did so, disconnected the battery and loaded it into the car. At the field, I unloaded, activated the radio, made sure the kill switch was active. All the things I should do to ensure safety, mentally patting myself on the back for being safe.
After a great day of flying, I packed up and folded the gear again before placing her in the back seat. Twice, very safe, and conscientious. While driving home, my mind is filled with great memories of the successful flight as I'm sure we can all relate.
Get home and unload, take the radio out and turn it on and plug in the battery to lower the L/G. Bumped the throttle one click, whirrrrr!!!!
The kill switch was not activated as sometimes happens when I out the radio in the case. know this can happen and am usually very careful to run through the sequence to be safe. This time, I had my hand full of airplane, and grabbed the radio with the other hand and didn't check. That prop probably missed doing the same thing to my arm by scant inches. Scared the crap out of me.
Silly mistake!! I've lectured here on the Squawk on check check check and safety first and here I am being beaten out by a basic Murph's law that we all deal with, get in front of that Attila the Hun sword of a prop and suffer the consequences ....

I'll also be the first to admit that when Denny brought up the elastic band method, though to myself, I don't need that , I have a kill switch.
Denny, let me be humble and say sorry for not heeding your advice, I got away with murder here and we all don't get away with things so easily as CT and Lon can attest. I am hooking up an elastic band and doing exactly as you suggest, kill switch or not. I got the hint, thanks again

Grossman56

[yorkiepap]

Hey CT,
Another thanks for sharing some insight into what can become a gruesome encounter with a prop, no matter what powers it. At our club field, we've also had several similar mishaps. I have a very simple technique that I've used for over 20yrs now that some of the other club members have adopted & were glad they did. I always use a neckstrap & know that a Tx can swing around when bending down to pick up a plane or disconnect the battery. That is usually the greatest chance that the throttle can be engaged if not being very careful & having the Tx swing back into your body & push the throttle to full. As soon as I have landed & taxied back, I engage the rubber band. If I have to go onto the field to retrieve the plane, I immediately engage the rubber band. Again, quite simple & works. Here's a couple pics....hope it may help the forum members here.

Denny

[OV10]

When I first started reading CT's encounter I thought it was going to be a little tale of fiction for our enjoyment at first because of the 1916 date, that is until the second sentence when I read about a 6S lipo and then I said to myself oh no. Your very last sentence CT says it all.
There are members in my club that still perceive that safety is all about electronics failure but in reality it truly is about a lack of disciplines for safety protocols. I have yet to see or hear of a personal injury caused by an ESC gone haywire but time and time again inadvertent transmitter throttle stick activation is the number one cause.
Glad that CT can continue on with this sport along with a war story that he can share with others to propagate awareness of sound safety practices.
Best regards,

[xviper]

This sends shivers up my spine (and I was a firefighter). These recounts of such incidents helps us all to remember how little it takes to have bad things happen. Glad you came through it OK.

[StormyDog1962]

Glad you were able to get thru all that and Thanks for sharing. I always make it a point when I am helping someone on the phone to first ask them if they have removed the prop and surprisingly many ask me why and I then share stories such as yours.

[boomer108]

Hey CT!

Hope your doing well and thanks for sharing. I can't say enough about safety and developing a good mental checklist.

Roy B.