physical injuries during walk-around

[satpak77]

the "I am stupid post for 2005"

I was doing post-flight walk-around on the King Air 350 a few days ago, installing pitot covers, checking oil, etc, and while on the left side, inboard, behind the stopped propellor, I had my back to the propellor area and chest facing the leading edge. I think I was checking the AUX fuel cap since we just got re-fueled.

A strong breeze existed at the time. Aircraft parked on the ramp facing westbound, during sunset conditions, with sun in my face (looking forward from the plane, facing westbound)

I then turned and walked forward simultaneuously (sp?) only to walk right into the back edge of one propeller blade, causing a 2 inch gash above my eyebrow.

Shortly thereafter, the local airport "health clinic" had a doctor who put stitches in my eyebrow.

anyone else have any "injury" stories to share? This is a FIRST for me, and hopefully will be the last.

I am posting this for all to benefit, I may get some razzing on this, hey, no prob, but I hope it prevents an injury.

later

 

[Diesel]

A buddy of ours put a static wic through his face. Missed his eyeball and went through his sinus and ended up breaking off in his face.

The worst part he was in mexico. Do a search on static wick it might come up. I know he's talked about it before.

 

[I.P. Freley]

A buddy of ours put a static wic through his face. Missed his eyeball and went through his sinus and ended up breaking off in his face.

Most cringe-worthy story I've heard in fo-evah... ACK!

 

[FracCapt]

Most cringe-worthy story I've heard in fo-evah... ACK!

Definitely. The pictures gave me nightmares for a couple nights....but, I definitely pay more attention than ever to those rigid static wicks!

 

[Diesel]

yeah i don't walk around the wing without holding on to the wick or walking wide around it.

The pictures are around somewhere. Pretty amazing stuff.

 

[Diesel]

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=28429

now that's a thread worth reading.

 

[enigma]

Definitely. The pictures gave me nightmares for a couple nights....but, I definitely pay more attention than ever to those rigid static wicks!

I'm not quite tall enough to reach the wicks on an MD80, but the SAT probe is perfectly positioned to whack you on the top of your noggin as you stand up after inspecting the nose gear. The best all time gotcha has to be the tip tanks on a 310, the rear point is at perfect adams apple height. Luckily, I never quite hit it hard enough to do major damage.

enigma

 

[imacdog]

I'm not quite tall enough to reach the wicks on an MD80, but the SAT probe is perfectly positioned to whack you on the top of your noggin as you stand up after inspecting the nose gear. The best all time gotcha has to be the tip tanks on a 310, the rear point is at perfect adams apple height. Luckily, I never quite hit it hard enough to do major damage.

enigma

I must be pretty short, the rear of the tip tanks on the 310 I fly are right at eye level for me. I always put my hand over the tip tanks as I walk behind them.

Several times I've been loading bags into the float on a DeHavilland Beaver, only to stand up and hit my head on the wing strut. Same thing loading bags into the belly pod of a 206/207. Fortunately I haven't been hurt too bad from that.

 

[westwind]

How about "The Diamond" to the forehead from the trailing edge of the wing on just about all single engine Cessnas (well probably not the Caravan )? Not nearly as bad as the static wick story, but I'll bet I'm not the only one to get "The Diamond".

 

[urflyingme?!]

westwind, We are members of an elite club. The few proud aviators who have walked away from a menacing beast of an injury: The dreaded Diamond.

Godspeed!

How about the step on the Bron/Bonanza. If you've ever jumped off the wing with a fully loaded flight bag and missed! OUCH!

 

[Flying Illini]

Missed the step into an archer before...that did a good job of removing the top few layers of skin from my shin.
I too have come dangerously close to smacking into the prop on the BE20. I saw it just in the knick of time and was able to lurch my body backwards. I avoided it but my body english musta looked pretty funny to an observer.
Underside of the engine nacelle on the falcon 10 has a drainmast that is several inches long. This thing is a definite gotcha and when doing preflight, I give it plenty of clearance because something like that digging into your back just doesn't feel good. Anyway, I have to duck down a good bit to go underneath the engine to get to the baggage door. After unloading, for whatever reason, I took a few steps towards the front of the plane before ducking back underneath the engine to then walk around to the front of the wing. Well, I must have been distracted but my attention became very focused when I tried to stand up and walk too early. That mast dug into my back in a big way. Right in the center of my back too. Luckily it only bled enough to get to the undershirt, not soak all the way through. I have always had a mental note in my mind during preflight to avoid that thing and when I least suspect it, I got it good.
I've snagged a jacket on the static wicks before, now I always make sure to put my hand on them when walking around the wing.

 

[User546]

A buddy of ours put a static wic through his face. Missed his eyeball and went through his sinus and ended up breaking off in his face.

The worst part he was in mexico. Do a search on static wick it might come up. I know he's talked about it before.

Anyone who wants pictures of this, you can download them below. (1.9MB)

http://www.bartnet.net/~jmt/static_wick.zip

(Anyone not comfortable with downloading them, PM me and I'll email them to you.)

 

[NuGuy]

Try wacking your head on the back of the trailing edge of the DC-9-10 while backing up trying to look into the nacelle and rudder limiter probe. Dang thing was short compared to the -30s/-40s/-50s.

Weren't there some pics of a guy who got sliced open by those scimitars hanging off the ERJs? I swear, those things look like something from Death Race 2000. Of couse, the reason they're painted day-glo yellow is to make you look more stupid WHEN you run into them.

Nu

 

[Flechas]

I fell in the ramp in CLE, it was iced up and I jumped out of the steps a litle fast, the pax inside the terminal had a good laugh (It's all about making the customers happy for us).

 

[typhoonpilot]

Good story Satpak, glad you are okay. I remember the static wick guy, he came on here and told the whole story ( shudder ).

One day I was doing a walk around of a 737 that was coming out of maintenance. I got to the wheel well and was looking up in it to make sure there was nothing left behind and got a spray of hydraulic fluid in my eye. It stung like a you know what. I ran back into the plane, grabbed a bottle of water and started pouring it in my eye. Went through two bottles before the stinging stopped. Fortunately I had just gotten a mist of hydraulic fluid from a pinhole in one of the lines. Had it been more than a mist, I could have lost that eye.

I'm a firm believer that the walk around is one of the most dangerous parts of the day for us, probably just below the drive to the airport. I easily spend half my time on the walk around just trying to avoid being hit by fuel trucks, lav trucks, catering trucks, belt loaders, etc.


TP