Posted on 07/21/2008 1:50:52 PM PDT by scottdeus12
TALLINN, Estonia — Authorities say a skydiver was killed when she walked into a spinning aircraft propeller at an airfield in Estonia.
The incident happened as a group of skydivers were boarding the turboprop plane in the western town of Rapla.
Kulli Kivioja of the regional prosecutor's office said the 29-year-old victim died instantly after she was hit by one of the twin-engine aircraft's propellers. Kivioja said Saturday's incident is under investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The need to be alert when rapidly spinning propellers are nearby cannot be overemphasized.
I’ve heard when some of those propellers are spinning, you can’t see them.
Of special interest to me...I jumped out of a plane at 10k feet on Saturday....with a parachute, btw. Fist time for me. Terrifying and exciting.
Poor guy....note to self; Don’t stand in front of an airplane. Especially if it’s on.
She
Most times they have the ends of the props painted a bright color so you CAN see them.
The thing I hated most working near aircraft is when a turbo-prop high wing plane requests a ground power unit to start. There are certain planes which put you inches from the connection to behind the propeller.
Rule 2 of Aviation: NEVER walk through the prop arc.
After a couple hundred jumps the adrenaline pumped diminishes to an unacceptably low level when factored against cost.
It's hard to see them and to figure out just how close or far away they are especially if you aren't paying attention.
H
“It’s hard to see them and to figure out just how close or far away they are especially if you aren’t paying attention.”
During WWII my father grabbed an officer that was about to walk into spinning props. For putting his hands on an officer they busted him from corporal to private.
Back in 1954, a woman backed into a propeller while boarding an Eastern Airlines flight at Logan Airport in Boston.
Disaster.
How many times have you jumped?
LOL.... that was one of my dad’s favorite jokes. I chuckle every time I hear it.
around 300...over 2 hrs of freefall time...:{)
I’m embarassed to say I had to say the punchline a few times out loud before I got the joke.
Dis-assed-her. LOL!!!
That’s just sloppy, leaving that prop turning while boarding. Gawd. That’s horrible.
}:-)4
During WW2, it was not unheard-of for airmen who bailed out of B-17s toward the top of a formation to go through the props of other B-17s lower and further-back in the formation.
At which point the question “Will my parachute open?” became moot.
When I was little my mom worked at a small local airport. One afternoon her boss was pulling up to the hangar and I can’t say exactly what happened but I heard a yelp, a howl and it was quickly followed by mom running into the office to tell me NOT to come out the door or look out the window. The boss’ dog somehow managed to get loose and run right in front of the propeller.
So, she wasn’t actually a skydiver. She was a pedestrian.
I took my Cherokee to get the prop dynamicaly balanced to the engine. The airplane is chained down, set to full throttle/full pitch and then a mechanic on a harness holding a timing light is inched to within about a foot of the sucking/chopping/bouncing/cavitating propeller. It's nuts.
The procedure really settles down those rattles, vibrations , and humm at cruise power settings. The best money ever spent on aircraft maint IMHO.
Gnarly way to go...
From the photos, I thought the skydiver was aboard the plane that went throught the spiral ham slicer
The article didn’t seem to mention the plane
Oops, sorry! That wasn’t the aircraft that was involved in this incident.
It is an aircraft that showed the aftermath of a prop strike.
Sorry again for the confusion.
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