Return to the incident list: Incident List Heel prop strike PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: Weight: 160 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: BGD Luna 2 23m Size: Paramotor Frame: Miniplane ABM Flex Cage with Atom 80 with

Incident Details

August 25, 2021 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Takeoff was a forward launch on a very humid, hot, and calm evening down the runway, starting at the end of the runway. Approximately 30 feet down from the the point of inflation, there were some wide divots (~2-4 inches deep) in the grass. Inflation was fine, however there was a minor oscillation. I believe this oscillation on the surge, along with the runway ruts and a fairly long inseam (leg length) led to a prop strike with my right heel as the wing lost some lift (lines did not slack). I immediately aborted, did not fall over, and the paramotor never impacted the ground. One blade of the two blade carbon fiber Yueny propeller was destroyed on impact with my heel. Other than the propeller, there was minor damage to the netting from the propeller fragments. The shoe I was wearing at the time of the incident, Allbirds, do not have a rigid heel, and have very little padding. I believe this contributed to the severity of the injury, and I believe a shoe with rigid heel protection would have mitigated, or even prevented, injury. I’ve done some research and found the following post of a Paramotor pilot that had a heel strike while wearing Oboz boots, and walked away without injury. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/k9udqg/while_flying_paramotor_i_had_a_prop_strike/

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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