Droping things from aircraft? Two kids injured at MI Minor Leauge BB Game

[FN FAL]

I'm thinking someone is going to find out a couple of things. One of which is thta you cannot sign a waiver for your child and do away with their rights to sue for injuries. The other one has something do with FAR's and dropping things from aircraft.

2 Kids Hurt in Money Drop at Mich. Game



COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Two children were injured in a scramble to grab cash being dropped from a helicopter as part of a promotion after a minor league baseball game.

About $1,000 in cash was dropped Saturday from the helicopter over Fifth Third Ballpark's outfield as children lined the outfield fence.

After the cash was dropped, the children scrambled. A 7-year-old boy was trampled and taken to a hospital, while a 7-year-old girl got a bloody lip after being pushed onto the ground.

The boy, Tino Rodriquez, of Grant, suffered bruises to his chest and back, said his grandmother, Rita Rodriquez.

Doctors said he got trampled pretty good," she said.

The cash drop took place after the West Michigan Whitecaps' 3-0 win over the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays. It was the first time the Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers had conducted such a promotion.

"It's for fun and games," spokeswoman Katie Kroft said. "This is why we have everybody sign a waiver."

 

[TCAS]

This kind of reminded me of Les Nessman's-WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey drop from the station's traffic helicopter.... who knew turkeys couldn't fly!!!

 

[FN FAL]

This kind of reminded me of Les Nessman's-WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey drop from the station's traffic helicopter.... who knew turkeys couldn't fly!!!

I think I almost remember that one...

 

[fxbat]

There used to be a charity in my area that sponsored a golf ball drop. You would buy a numbered ball for a buck and a chopper would hover @ 20 off a green and dump out the bag. If your ball went in the hole you would win some sort of prize. I thought it was a grate way to raise some money. But all of us on the ground were to drunk to trample anything. (Golf is a drinking sport)

 

[81Horse]

... After the cash was dropped, the children scrambled. A 7-year-old boy was trampled and taken to a hospital, while a 7-year-old girl got a bloody lip after being pushed onto the ground. ...

Well, any parent who's ever seen a birthday party pinata stampede could have predicted this. And the article doesn't say if the kids were trampled by other kids -- or by adults ('cause after all, there was $$ involved!).

The signed "waivers" are meaningless.

 

[Occam's Razor]

I'm thinking someone is going to find out a couple of things. One of which is thta you cannot sign a waiver for your child and do away with their rights to sue for injuries. The other one has something do with FAR's and dropping things from aircraft.

Yikes!

Are you telling me the FAA could come after me for all the stuff I've dropped off of airplanes?

I'm screwed! I musta dropped about a thousand Mk 82's alone!

(I'm not sure if any little kids got hurt in the ensuing scramble though...)

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

Why would the FAA get involved? They were dropping cash, which did not cause the injuries to the kids. Greediness caused the injuries. Now, if they were dropping rolls of quarters--that would be cause for the FAA to look into it.

 

[FN FAL]

Why would the FAA get involved? They were dropping cash, which did not cause the injuries to the kids. Greediness caused the injuries. Now, if they were dropping rools of quarters--that would be cause for the FAA to look into it.

So, what does the reg say?

 

[81Horse]

Sec. 91.15 - Dropping objects.
No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property.

So I guess one has to ask the Reasonable Man what he thinks about dropping $$ for kids.

 

[sleddriver71]

FAR 91.15 "No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this secion does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property."

 

[sleddriver71]

Oops, 81 horse beat me to it, man that sucks, I have 1100 hp and he still beat me...

 

[FN FAL]

So I guess one has to ask the Reasonable Man what he thinks about dropping $$ for kids.

Any commercial or movie that I ever saw with a scene where money came out out of the sky, had people running around crazy. Look what happened when the armored car dumped the money off the overpass?

Not only that, but the very fact that they asked people to sign a waiver, shows that they knew it was going to be dangerous activity.

 

[FN FAL]

FAR 91.15 "No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this secion does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property."

Making people sign a waiver isn't "reasonable precautions".

 

[81Horse]

I have 1100 hp and he still beat me...

It's all in the wrist, dude.

FN FAL, your point about the waiver's a good one: somebody must have thought there was some danger involved. I wonder how high above the crowd the chopper was? 'Cause there's your FAR violation right there, probably.

On a side note: had an acquaintance once who was busted by the FAA for dropping marshmallows over a football field during halftime. The drop was arranged for by the school, and no one was injured; however, somebody narked -- the pilot was charged with violating safe altitude requirements (open air assembly of peebs, etc.).

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

Waivers do not stand up in court--they are for keeping people who don't know that from sueing. I took it that the kids were standing behind a line and couldn't move until the money was already dropped. If that's the case, reasonable precautions were taken and Darwin's Rule about survival of the fittest was in play. It's nature's way of thinning the herd.

 

[FN FAL]

Waivers do not stand up in court--they are for keeping people who don't know that from sueing.

So if something doesn't "stand up in court" you can't use it as evidence?

So, if polygraph machines don't "stand up in court", I could beat you to death with one and that evidence would not be viewed by the courts as admissible?

 

[Dr Pokenhiemer]

Have you ever been to a baseball game? There is a waiver printed on the back of the ticket saying they are not responsible for injuries from flying balls or bats. By purchasing the ticket, you accept the waiver. To answer your question, you can introduce the polygraph machine into evidence when used as a weapon in an assault, but not the results of a polygraph test. It's too easy to beat the machine.

And to think--I just took up for you in a different forum because you can't spell worth a crap. Didn't know you didn't have any common sense either!

 

[81Horse]

But DrPoke, wouldn't the fact that somebody thought a waiver was necessary be relevant? If reasonable precautions were taken, why was anyone asked to sign a waiver?

I think we all concur that a signed waiver would not prevent someone from bringing suit.

And I don't find the baseball analogy apt. A Reasonable Man would say any idiot who goes to a baseball game knows baseballs fly into the crowd sometimes; but would he say the same idiot expects money to fly out of helicopters at a baseball game?