Return to the incident list: Incident List Body Contact with Spinning Prop PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 0 Weight: 200 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: N/A Size: Paramotor Frame: SD Monster with

Incident Details

January 1, 2006 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

I’ve been flying since ’97, and I still remember how dangerous I used to think that spinning prop was, and how inadequate the netting. For some reason, over the next 7 years I seem to have forgotten the danger. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, I received an unfriendly reminder. I finally got around to rebuilding the engine, as the rings had been stuck and I did not have much compression anymore. Naturally, there was not much resistance when pull starting. Eager to test it after rebuilding, with the engine unsecured on a concrete floor and holding it with my left hand, I proceeded to start it just like I have a thousand times before. I was complacent–there’s no danger, and its certainly not going to start on the first attempt after rebuilding. I pulled the starter, and not being used to the extra compression, most of my effort just yanked the machine sideways and pivoted it toward my right hand. Apparently there was just enough force remaining to crank the engine, which instantly and unexpectedly sprang to life. Within a second it lurched toward me and I had one chance to drop the starter and grab the frame with my right hand. I missed. My hand went right through the netting and I heard the sound of sh*t hitting the prop. The prop exploded, I killed the engine, and looked at the mess that used to be a human hand. There were three massive lacerations across the back of my hand and wrist, to the bone, complete with a spurting arterial bleed for added effect. One finger was hanging by a thread, an avulsion of the distal tip of another, and a shattered second metacarpal. In thirteen years as an EMT with the Albuquerque Fire Dept., I have never seen a hand injury as gnarly as this one. Not only that, but it hurt. Anyway, the surgeon glued it all back together, and I should have close to a full recovery, minus about a half inch of my middle finger. The reason I ‘m posting this is to remind everyone that this can happen to ANYONE, not just rookies. Experience, size, strength (I bench over 450 pounds), matters not. At any time, a strange combination of events may come together to make a routine procedure not routine. There are so many things that could happen to cause a similar accident. I don’t think I was careless, but I was complacent. If at all possible, I will have my motor secured when I start it. Also, I’m going to experiment with netting that actually is designed to prevent a hand from entering the space reserved for the prop, and perhaps manufacturers should too. One more point of interest–an issue never discussed in the prop material threads. My hand shattered all four blades of the composite prop. If it were wood, I have no doubt that my entire hand would have been chopped off. That would suck. These composites were the originals, and the leading edge had been worn paper thin by years of sand blasting. Could that have also played a role in saving my hand? Remember, just because you have done something a thousand times does not mean that crap won’t happen on the one thousand first. I always pictured what I would do if I started it and it went to full throttle and the kill switch failed. Would you be able to throw it away from you? I never pictured it happening like this. By the way, why did it start on the first attempt? The last thing I did was clean the carb, and I think it was actually carb cleaner vapors that started the engine. Who knows. Expect the unexpected. It does not just happen to rookies. The surgeon took some sweet pictures, and if he ever gets around to giving them to me, I will post them. As bad as this was, it could have been worse. I feel lucky to still have a hand. Typing with one hand sucks. Be careful.

Flight Window: Wind Speed: Type: Phase of Flight: Type of Injury: Collateral Damage: Analysis of the incident (additional input by the incident investigation team): Photos (if available):

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