The editor of an online fashion and lifestyle magazine was severely injured at a McKinney airport Saturday when she walked into an airplane propeller.Props are dangerous. From behind, they are almost invisible, for the back side is painted flat black so as not to reflect light into the pilot's eyes. At night, you won't see it on the ground. They've killed people who were supposed to be familiar with them.
Lauren Scruggs, 23, landed at Aero Country Airport -- off Virginia Parkway -- about 9:30 p.m. after viewing North Texas Christmas lights from a small, private airplane. The prop struck her upper body, according to her friend Janeé Harrell, resulting in a skull fracture, severe facial cuts and the amputation of her left hand, among other injuries.
Some airplanes you might safely exit and enter with the engine running. Some you can't (older Navions). But if you're going to load and unload passengers with the engine running, they must be thoroughly briefed and, if at all possibly, escorted. For if you are the pilot and someone strolls into the prop, it's on you.
Terrible. But I have to ask.. Who would "swap" passengers without shutting down at night in a tandem seat airplane? This did not need to happen.
ReplyDeleteA vertical lawn mower blade rotating at high speed even at an idle.
ReplyDeleteSarah, this was completely avoidable.
ReplyDeleteBusted, a prop rotates at 500rpm at low idle.
My dad told me a story from his Navy days (Korean War). His destroyer was sailing next to a carrier, and he was watching some guys push a plane into position to ready it for launch. Suddenly one of them dropped his arms and walked right into the propellor - Apparently the spinning of the propellor had hypnotized him.
ReplyDeleteHe was killed of course, and so was the pilot because he had his canopy open and the pieces of propellor and guy flew back and hit him.
Boy, that's not a lesson you can learn from. At all.
ReplyDelete