Another Fatal Prop Strike

Trapper John

Trapper John

Ejection Handle Pulled
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
8,155
Location
Headley Grange
Display Name
Display name:
Bill Burkett
A 26-year-old flight student is dead after a propeller accident Saturday on the runway of Castle Airport in Merced.

The accident happened at around 6:30 p.m. after the victim and another student returned from a flight to Visalia. MacKenzie said the students were certified to fly either solo or with an instructor -- but they were not supposed to be flying together.
When the students landed the two-seat aircraft at Castle, investigators believe they saw a fuel truck and knew their violation would be reported to the flight school, if they were seen by the truck's driver.
One student left on foot, while the victim got out of the co-pilot's seat and went around the front of the plane. MacKenzie said investigators speculate that the victim was trying to get back into the primary pilot's seat when he was struck in the head by the propeller.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11013701?nclick_check=1

Very sad conclusion to a dumb act...


Trapper John
 
TMetzinger said:
He couldn't walk around the BACK of the airplane?
Click to expand...

Considering that they were flying illegally in the first place, I don't think common sense was his/her strong point.

Sad for all involved, though. The survivor will never be the same, I'm sure.
 
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations. There are other cultural factors at work, too, including the potential embarassment at being dropped from training and sent home in what they would likely see as disgrace (a bigger issue in the Orient, I should think, than here) -- stuff like that can play hob with your better judgement in time-critical decision-making.
 
Last edited:
Ron Levy said:
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations.
Click to expand...

Problem is, we're losing that. We've had other threads here about all the crazy stuff we did as kids that may have hurt us, but we lived and learned, and how that's gone away now.

Watch for more Americans to walk into props in the future, I guess. :(
 
Why would he not just slide over to the other seat?
 
dont most planes have dual controls. Can you fly PIC in the co pilot seat? why would he even have to move
 
jpwamt said:
dont most planes have dual controls. Can you fly PIC in the co pilot seat? why would he even have to move
Click to expand...
Many pilots tend to think that you have to fly from the left seat or the flight school will get mad. Some schools actually have policies requiring it (stupid) or some stupid insurance rule.

Personally, I've always liked flying from the other seat from time to time.
 
1. It ain't easy "sliding over" in a C-150 if you have legs.
2. It's hard for a barely-soloed student to fly the plane cross-cockpit, and probably against school rules.
 
Ron Levy said:
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations. There are other cultural factors at work, too, including the potential embarassment at being dropped from training and sent home in what they would likely see as disgrace (a bigger issue in the Orient, I should think, than here) -- stuff like that can play hob with your better judgement in time-critical decision-making.
Click to expand...

I think this pretty much explains it. We grew up with rotary blade lawn mowers and other lethal contraptions, like our dad's car and our brothers motorcycle. How many of us has had their fingers nipped with a model airplanes motor?

We were taught at an early age to respect machines. I think if we had not been exposed to such things, we would probably have a few less pilots. No matter how you look at it, it just seems like a nasty way to go. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.

John
 
Ron Levy said:
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations. There are other cultural factors at work, too, including the potential embarassment at being dropped from training and sent home in what they would likely see as disgrace (a bigger issue in the Orient, I should think, than here) -- stuff like that can play hob with your better judgement in time-critical decision-making.
Click to expand...

Don't they use child labor over there? Not entirely a flip question. I would almost expect them to be more used to exposure to dangerous equipment than your average coddled/sheltered kid here, at least these days.
 
woodstock said:
Don't they use child labor over there? Not entirely a flip question. I would almost expect them to be more used to exposure to dangerous equipment than your average coddled/sheltered kid here, at least these days.
Click to expand...

Remember, in China, they have the one child law. Each family is blessed with their own little emperor. That one child probably is more coddled than American kids. Perhaps not so much in rural areas, but then, I doubt if they played with model gasoline engines or rotary lawn mowers.

The parents future is very dependent on the survival of their one and only child. In the modern Chinese economy, things are changing at an unbelievable pace. They now have the machines and the money for dangerous toys.

John
 
John Baker said:
How many of us has had their fingers nipped with a model airplanes motor?
Click to expand...

*raises hand, cringes at the memory of the pain*

Frickin' hurts, doesn't it? Luckily it only took my finger *half* off, or so it seemed. I noticed that "remote" needle valves are standard these days, that's what I was going for when I got whacked.
 
Ron Levy said:
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations. There are other cultural factors at work, too, including the potential embarassment at being dropped from training and sent home in what they would likely see as disgrace (a bigger issue in the Orient, I should think, than here) -- stuff like that can play hob with your better judgement in time-critical decision-making.
Click to expand...
I have been to China many, MANY times. It is a country that has yet to see a product liability lawyer. IOW the place is filled with all kind sof hazards e.g. giant holes in the streets, machinery that has yet to even hear the words UL or safety. The Chinese are exposed to far more dangers than the average person form an industrilized country. This just sound to me a like a couple of smart arsed kids who think before they act.
 
smigaldi said:
I have been to China many, MANY times. It is a country that has yet to see a product liability lawyer. IOW the place is filled with all kind sof hazards e.g. giant holes in the streets, machinery that has yet to even hear the words UL or safety. The Chinese are exposed to far more dangers than the average person form an industrilized country. This just sound to me a like a couple of smart arsed kids who think before they act.
Click to expand...

This sounds in line with anything I've heard about China. I'd expect their kids to be much more atturned to dangerous stuff than ours.

ps. wait, Scott, are you saying China is a capitalist's dream? ;)
 
smigaldi said:
I have been to China many, MANY times. It is a country that has yet to see a product liability lawyer. IOW the place is filled with all kind sof hazards e.g. giant holes in the streets, machinery that has yet to even hear the words UL or safety. The Chinese are exposed to far more dangers than the average person form an industrilized country. This just sound to me a like a couple of smart arsed kids who think before they act.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... perhaps this innoculates them to the dangers?
 
Ron Levy said:
Hmmm... perhaps this innoculates them to the dangers?
Click to expand...
Perhaps they are a couple of young men who feel that the rules do not apply to them, that they are smarter than the people around them and had a casual relationship with safety. I think I have known a few people like that in my life and I am sure you have too, Darwin usually wins with people like that.
 
Ron Levy said:
Word I have is they were both Chinese nationals. One wonders about how much exposure they had to dangerous machinery before they got here. We Americans tend to take for granted the exposure at a young age to all sorts of machinery (and consequent respect for the associated dangers) that isn't so common in less developed nations. There are other cultural factors at work, too, including the potential embarassment at being dropped from training and sent home in what they would likely see as disgrace (a bigger issue in the Orient, I should think, than here) -- stuff like that can play hob with your better judgement in time-critical decision-making.
Click to expand...

I have been to China a few times, and even in the countryside, children are exposed to hazardous machines as well as a plethora of hazards that would have DCS here putting the kid in foster care. Go to any factory there and an OSHA guy wou have a kniption fit and die of a brain aneurism. If anything, children in America know nothing of hazards. Every belt has a guard, when you let go of a lawn mower the blade stops....
 
John Baker said:
Remember, in China, they have the one child law. Each family is blessed with their own little emperor.
Click to expand...

Well, yes and no, many of the rural areas are still allowed multiple children, and where the rule applied (not too sure it does anymore BTW) if you lose one, you get to have another, kinda like Doritos, it brought about another "problem" too many boys, not enough girls, because the girls kept getting "crib death" in order to make room for a boy.
 
Hate to be the jerk here but does anyone think that these are the kind of students that need to get their license? Sometimes accidents like this are the only way to prevent these people from hurting someone else. NATURAL SELECTION:nono:
 
ted gilbertson said:
Sometimes accidents like this are the only way to prevent these people from hurting someone else. NATURAL SELECTION:nono:
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but natural selection is heavily discouraged in the 1st world. Just watch the swift water rescues when it rains or read a product label.:frown2:
Otherwise, we'd just expect students and pilots to understand the magnatude of forces from a 70lbs bar driven by a 160 hp engine. Obviously we don't since each CFI I've had mentioned the prop even if its just "Never stick your head in the prop arc. Hands, but not head."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top