[50%300SFlyer]

Guys

For those who are a bit squeamish, I apologize in advance, but as a concerned modeller, and a member of the safety committee, I feel the need to report this to everyone.

Yesterday while out flying at Club 400 north of Toronto, one of the club members had a serious accident.

While starting the 100cc gas engine on his airplane, the plane suddenly lurched forward, and all of us at the field heard an awful sound. I could describe it further, but I wont. It seems he just couldn't get out of the way fast enough. The end result was that two fingers on his left hand [his right hand had a glove on it for starting] were left dangling by the skin. The tips of a 3 bladed carbon fiber prop were about 1 inch shorter as well.

It seems he had not tightened up the rope restraint system he was using to hold the plane back, and when the engine started, the plane leaped forward almost instantaneously taking up all the slack in the rope. The other mistake made was that the throttle position on the transmitter was half way up. We immediately dialed 911 on a cell phone, with fire department, police, and ambulance all responding a short time later. In the mean time, one of the other flyers there, had the good sense to get a cooler of ice out of the car, get his hand into it before help arrived. He was then taken to hospital in the ambulance a short time later.


We have got to be careful guys! We all get much too complacent sometimes. If you don't already have a SAFE set routine for starting your plane, GET ONE and FOLLOW IT RELIGIOUSLY! Even the smallest of engines these days, can do serious damage!

This also proves one other point that all of us have heard before... DON'T FLY ALONE!... If you are hurt, you may not be able to get the help you need, and this accident was a prime example!

Please be careful guys!

[Nuker]

Mike, hate to hear about that and hopefully safter reading, some will be a bit more cautious. Please let us know how your buddy makes out.

Bob

[WildBill]

That is a real shame mike sorry to hear about the accident, give your friend our best wishes, i have started flipping my big gasser from behind since i saw a guy do it on a video, i straddle the fuse and flip it, that way it can't jump forward and get me. Again best wishes to your friend, hope he pulls through allright.

[50%300SFlyer]

I don't know the gentlemen all that well. His name is Ron Carr. I don't know if they will be able to re-attach his fingers or not. They were pretty bad...

Ill post any more info about the accident results when I know more.

[Chris Cann]

OMG, that is aweful I hope they can get his fingers re-attached...when I start flying gassers i will always have someone or soemthing holding the tail really strong don't wanna take any risks with this stuff!

[Dave Holmes]

Mike, I think as a rule we don't take safety seriously enough, and as our club president said at a recent meeting, "Everybody needs to behave as if they are on the safety committee, don't leave it to the other guy to watch out for safety concerns."

I find that regardless of the activity, if I let myself get complacent, something is bound to bite me. So far, at least, any time I started to get complacent in this hobby, the worst it has cost me is a plane.

Best wishes to Ron Carr for a complete and speedy recovery, and to quote a line from an old TV show "Be careful out there!"

Dave

[Randy Brown]

I was there and it was not a good time

Anyway.. one thing I have notice in the years and has to do with the older group for some reason people that been in this hobby for along time have this idea that they need to start the motor with the throttle stick up to half open,.. very bad habbit

RB

[Nuker]

We know Ron out in this part of town. He's also a member in Whitby. Hopefully, with today's medicine, he will have a full recovery.

Bob

[ronnieo]

I cringe when I hear that.........my bro rammer did that last year with a 3 blade ST3000 and a Fibreglass prop. He took about 40 stitches across 3 fingers and almost said goodbye to the thumb after putting his hand in an invisible propwash about 4000 rpm. Luckily the one blade broke off and flew to the house next door.....if it was carbon fibre, it woulda been a whole different story. It was a bench test on a Black and Decker workmate.........but still dangerous nonetheless. My sympathy and hopeful speedy recovery to Ron Carr.....and a big "hope it don't happen to me" to the rest of us.

[ronm]

Remember, it does not have to be a big "gasser" to remove fingers.
A .40 screaming a full throttle with an APC prop can also relieve you of digits.
Take care with all engines!!

Ronm