Fingers chopped by main rotor
 

Hi,
found this accident in the police press of Germany
22.04.2012 | 19:08 Uhr
Alpen - accident


For a birthdayevent there should be a ride in a helicopter.
So on Sunday, the 22nd April 2012 a helicopter landed on a field at the Bönninger Street. shortly before entering the helicopter a 70 year old man raised his hand to wave to his family. The right hand was hit by the main rotor and two and a half finger were chopped....
After first treatment he got a ride in an ambulance helicopter to a spezialised hospital.

I know there is a video from a clothing company which shows something similar - but never thought, that it would happen in real live....
(Well, I don´t fly these upside down turned lawn mowers ...so may be I´m lucky ;-)

Awful situation! I once had someone do this under the rotor disc of an aircraft I was flying. The passenger was being closely supervised by experienced ground staff as he disembarked but he suddenly turned, walked back under the disc and raised his arms to wave goodbye. I immediately moved the cyclic away from him and the rotors thankfully missed his fingers, but only just. A pilot's nightmare, doesn't matter how much you brief some people, they still forget about basic self preservation.

In the mid 70's, when the Gazelle was becoming established in the British Army, a squaddie in Germany put his hand into a Fenestron as someone had told him it was ducted air and the thirteen blades can't be seen when they're turning.

Tommy Sopwith (JNR) a famous example of this type of incident.
See rotary nostalgia thread

Know the feeling... things can happen in a blink of an eye

Can you immagine watching a father lift his son up onto his shoulders right after exiting the helicopter???!!! This happened to me some years ago, my groundhandler acted in reflex though and saved the kid from sure death, only to be cursed out by the angry father.........:ugh:

Things to think about when hot-loading pax. Unless it is 100% necessary I avoid it.

Bravo! :ok: This kind of accident continues to happen because we continue to do dumb things.

Scary stuff!

That is utterly horrible!

I've been sworn at when I pointed out to a guy that he was just about to walk his child's head into the metal frame of a shop awning (the child was on his shoulders).

Not as bad as rotor blades though!

didnt someone up in the UK somewhere throw a kid up into spinning blades? you can just imagine it, dad lands the helicopter, kid runs out to dad, like they always do with the car, dad jumps out of helicopter, blades still going, gets to kid under disk, and picks them up, throws them up like they always do when he arrives home.....

maybe it was just a nasty rumour, but i was sure i read about it somewhere.


i always carry my kids on my shoulders! but i tell them that they have to watch out for things, you only have to bang into a door frame, softly, a couple of times for them to figure it out! it makes them a bit more aware of their surroundings, im not always going to be there for them, the sooner they look after themselves the better. no shoulder rides around the helicopter tho, and always hold my hand, total control...

and im also really pedantic about who i let loose around the helicopter, even when its not going. helicopter on the pad, blades not turning, everyone walk around the front, especially people not used to it. if you let them round the back once, even if its easier, especially if its kids, then they remember that and will think nothing wrong with it.

if you always act like it will bite, then hopefully more people learn the safe way of doing things.

not a nasty rumour - and its part of Franks safety course. similarly the Tail rotor you will notice the short downard attachment on the R22 tail boom, designed by Frandk, because...

years ago we had two, one a fatal head strike with helmet on and another not fatal, broke his head in two twisted the top half about a bit, but it was straightened up then stitched up with titanium screws and wire. The pilot was most disappointed when the airport metal detector failed to go off.

Know of another pilot in the west many years ago on a survey job, looking at maps on the ground after dropping geos off, without thinking stood up and walked back to the motored down disc.
Geos ran nine miles back to base camp, didn't know how to switch of the machine
another pilot threw his hand up into the stab bar after checking the fuel tank while standing on the litter.

agreed, constant problem with touros, all mainly to do with unfamiliar noise and air pressures in the ears, especially after landing.

I hate seeing people around Helicopters with the Rotors spinning. I always wait until the Blades have stopped before jumping out. No rush. A few weeks ago I had to land the Schweizer in front of the Hanger with the Tail facing the cabin were everyone sits (Due to the Increased Wind Speed), so I couldn't see anybody when I was on the ground. While I was letting her cool down my friend came up the Left side of the machine and opened the door to watch me shut down :ugh:I gave him a reality check afterwards never to do it again.

safety briefs
 

Most graphic safety brief I've had was from a London HEMS pilot who jumped up and pulled the blade down to neck height.

I never forgot that and so always remain in the cabin after landing until the blades have stopped, even in a jet banger, which is occasionally embarrassing when the pilot walks off under the spinning main rotor.

I jump in and out of numerous helicopters, I'd rate most safety briefs 7/10 as they just do go far enough in driving home the point that the rotors can flap down to below head height.

I learnt something the other day which was to check that the seat buckle is right way up, because if it isn't your body weight will make it impossible to reach and undo in a roll over.
Full marks to those pilots on week long filming jobs who begin every day with a safety brief.

Funny thing Mick, I always try to grab the blade and bring it down to head height to highlight the point!

So what's safer. Pilot sitting in helicopter waiting for the blades to stop, while god knows who, is wandering around, or pilot getting out of the helicopter to ensure that no one walks into the blades?

Being from NZ, ag/utility ops, we are constantly in and out of the helicopter with the blades running, so don't think anything is wrong with it. Obviously other countries, and different types of operations have different views.

mickjoebill wrote;

We used to have a techie who demonstrated the forward blade on a Gazelle could be pulled down to ankle level!
:eek:

Chap i know had a Bell 47 with no rotor brake. Used to use his gloved hand to slow things down by gripping the TR drive shaft. OK until one day glove stuck to shaft. I'm squeamish, so wont go into the details of the injuries. I believe he was alone, so no help forthcoming quickly. Horrible.

Beefer ...same thing happened on Hiller ....
personally i am happy to climb out with blades still turning ( not full tilt ) as i feel happier being outside with vision all around in case of children , dogs etc

There was a B407 accident not too long ago in which the PILOT got out and walked into the MR blades - fatal.

See: NYC08LA028

Hi,
found the correspomding video...
Greetings Flying Bull

Hmm...don't think so. Didn't you say that the man in the Bönninger Street accident was 70?

Tasteless fake for a clothing company for tall men I believe.