Fall from door

Hengelo

Hengelo

Cleared for Takeoff
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Aug 31, 2021
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Hengelo
Not sure how to do a spoiler tag so if you do NOT want to watch someone fall from an open airbus door, do not click.

Sure looks ugly.

 
OMG! Is there a follow-up story regarding his condition?
 
I was standing on a normal Skywagon tire (8.5) to wash the windshield. My foot slipped and I fell on my back, sustaining 11 rib and 5 vertebral fractures.

50% of falls from 18 feet are fatal.

Falls aren’t something to take lightly. I almost never climb ladders anymore and I sure don’t ever go on the roof.
 
OneCharlieTango said:
I was standing on a normal Skywagon tire (8.5) to wash the windshield. My foot slipped and I fell on my back, sustaining 11 rib and 5 vertebral fractures.

50% of falls from 18 feet are fatal.

Falls aren’t something to take lightly. I almost never climb ladders anymore and I sure don’t ever go on the roof.
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Jesus! I've worked in & around enough emergency services to stay the hell away from ladders. I won't even own anything higher than a stepstool. Risk/reward just isn't there.
 
True story..
Had an old country guy helping roof a house one day. It was hot, and he'd brought a cooler.
After several beers, he was more hammered than the nails. Tried to get him to go sit under a tree.
But no, and a few minutes later, tap, tap, tap, ahhh! right off the roof.
Climbed back up, and a bit later we heard him yell again.
Climbed back up, but after the third time, he finally looked up and said, "Well..I'm a headed to the house".
Wouldn't let anyone drive him, and off he went.

Funniest thing, his last name was Edge.
 
We had a long time and well-liked contributor here succumb to one such fall at home. Several career terminating falls in recreational life at my work as well.

Agree, the ROI of ladder climbing in pedestrian life for me does not pencil out. As the owner of a 2 story home, I subcontract all that nonsense out. Lightbulb at the porch (fixture at top story level) been out for 6 years, and it was probably still that way for the previous owner (rental home). I just took an unused driveway lightpost wiring and glued an outdoor a fixture to the masonry to light said porch. Our next home, per the spousal unit, will be single story non-negotiable. and this is a lady that's actually pushing me to buy a replacement airplane to deal with the work commute. So yes ma'am, single story it is. :D
 
Velocity173 said:
I fly a crapload of ladder falls, especially older folks who think they still got it. Your balance gets worse (50+) as you get older. Leave it to the pros.
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I once flew a elderly native man out of Crownpoint one night. He split his pelvis.

Not from a ladder, but from bull riding.

He kept saying over and over, ''damn, I coulda used that 500 bucks..''

70 years old.
 
Zeldman said:
I once flew a elderly native man out of Crownpoint one night. He split his pelvis.

Not from a ladder, but from bull riding.

He kept saying over and over, ''damn, I coulda used that 500 bucks..''

70 years old.
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I might question his judgement, but damn, I admire his spirit!
 
I tried to talk dad out of it... But he insisted on climbing on his snow covered roof with a layer of ice underneath....with a chainsaw. Called my sister and said we might be getting an early inheritance. So dumb.

IMG_20240114_092328665.jpg
 
Keepin it apropos, that’s EXACTLY why I tell students that stalling after an engine failure IS NOT AN OPTION. At all. No stalling. FLY to the site of the crash, don’t fall to it.

I mean, may as well listen, if they survive stalling after an engine failure, I’m gonna kill ‘em anyway, just for not listening!

I don’t know ANYONE who didn’t suffer life altering injuries after mere single story ladder incidents. Bad juju.
 
Zeldman said:
I once flew a elderly native man out of Crownpoint one night. He split his pelvis.

Not from a ladder, but from bull riding.

He kept saying over and over, ''damn, I coulda used that 500 bucks..''

70 years old.
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The retired man I bought my 182 from was apparently selling so he could concentrate on his new hobby of bull riding.

I often wonder if he's still alive.
 
Hengelo said:
Jesus! I've worked in & around enough emergency services to stay the hell away from ladders. I won't even own anything higher than a stepstool. Risk/reward just isn't there.
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Renting a boom lift trailer is so worth it.
 
geneseib said:
Renting a boom lift trailer is so worth it.
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Margy wanted me to replace all our exterior flood lights with Ring spotlight cams. The ones on the hangar in particular are 25' up in the air over irregular ground. I rented a boom lift. Made easy work out of the job.
 
I’m now going to think of this thread when climbing a ladder. Wife has been warning me more lately. Years ago I fell off a ladder onto her. No injuries to either, but I am reminded of that every once in a while.
 
TrueCourse said:
I’m now going to think of this thread when climbing a ladder. Wife has been warning me more lately. Years ago I fell off a ladder onto her. No injuries to either, but I am reminded of that every once in a while.
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Famous last words "I'll be careful."

6 foot step ladder on a concrete driveway. Extension ladder was hard to get to. Just a quick little job.
Standing on the very top - - you know, where it says "not a step"?
Pushed a little too hard.
Somehow my hammer made it to the concrete first, then I landed on my ass on top of the hammer.
I'm lying on the ground, can't get up -
the wife is like, "I'm calling 911" and I say - no don't do that, pull the hammer out from under me first.
she gets the hammer out from under me but still wants to call - I keep saying to just give me a few minutes - conversation keeps repeating...
Finally I am able to get myself up. Really sore. Bruise the size of Texas, but no other damage.
Eventually went and got the ladder I should have used
 
Watch that first step . . .

Ouch.
 
My garage has a more or less flat roof. Climbing up the ladder to get on the roof is no problem. Getting back on the ladder to climb down gives me the willies. I am probably doing it wrong.
 
(Funny story, keep scrolling if you don't care)
My octogenarian mother told me about how she and her former college roommate were trouble shooting a beeping smoke alarm on the ceiling. I asked in horror if she'd been on a ladder and she said "Yes, but Vivian (just as old) was there to catch my fall."
Since they both survived it's funny, but what a facepalm.
 
I get up on the roof 3-4 times per year to blow out the leaves/debris from the gutters with a backpack blower. I don't have much problem doing that sort of stuff, but I did ask my wife to hand me something (i don't recall what it was) which required her to climb about 4 or 5 steps up the ladder to reach where I was. Funniest thing watching her cling to that ladder while only 4' off the ground, but if you don't do that kind of stuff often your self-preservation skills are likely to react violently to being up in the air!
 
You guys are making me re-think installing a metal roof on my moms house myself. Well, myself plus 1. It is the flattest pitch where water will still run off the roof, but still sloped.

I am still young, at 65.

Other choice is hiring a roofer that quoted me 36K for the job.
 
ateamer said:
Some of our neighbors just went in together on buying a Genie lift. I’m thinking about buying a share, too.
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I have an "Upright Lift" which will sit on fairly flat ground and lift you up on a platform 24' in the air. I bought it to change the lights in my hangar (17' above the floor) but it does get loaned out around the neighborhood. It's currently sitting in another neighbor's hangar. I'd love to have a boom lift available (I just rented one). We do have a neighbor with a tractor with forks on it and a couple of guys with bobcats.
 
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