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Pilot Details

Age: 44 Weight: 190 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: 2012 Ozone Rush Power 30M Size: Paramotor Frame: Minipane Minari – 47lbs. with

Incident Details

October 17, 2015 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Didn’t kill the motor prior to landing (belt drive) due to lack of recent experience and some distraction. Once out of seat and in landing runout post-flare with hands up, top of cage shifted forward while right hand just happened to be moving back rapidly, most likely from the run and lack of recent experience. Mid-joint of bent small finger around toggle penetrated the cage netting quite hard, hard enough to make contact with the idling prop. Prop instantly tore into leather/fabric glove, entering finger joint and splitting first bone into multiple pieces between top of hand and mid-joint. Over 50% of joint missing, requiring distal radius bone graft surgery, tendon/ligament reconstruction, pinning, casting/splitting and physical therapy for up to three months. The major take away here is NOT to fly when you’ve been on the ground for an excessive period of time without first reviewing and practicing your procedures and usual safety practices. This is especially important when you’ve got a spectator there who (and by no fault of their own) could be a distraction, whereas if recent experience were more plentiful it wouldn’t be. Also, this is a good argument for adding extra distance between the prop and the netting, something manufacturers seem hesitant about doing due to the moment component.

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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