ORIGINAL: MFLOOD3800
I too have had the prop expeience. Mine was through the front of an A200 twin with carbon 21x27 fiber prop on alky. Damage was so severe it required a helicopter flight, major surgery and months of rehab. No knucle, destroyed knucle, stretched tendens fractured fingers, some skin grafs and all is 50% normal.
Here is what I learned. You better have a safe routine and follow it. Dont develope a set of ''risky'' routines. Make sure they are safe with built in safe procedures. Then follow them every time. Im not giving a free pass to complacency at all, but many will get that way unfortunately, and the safe routine will act as a fairly good buffer.
You can bet I double check every prop/hand clearance prior to removing any ignitor.
I cannot even imagine what that must have been like. I see on forums various guys state, "You just need a pair and crank it like you mean it." What a bunch of goofballs. Macho-ness will fall like a hot potato when limbs get chewed up and blood starts flying. I have not met anyone that did not regret it when they got hurt after they knew it could have been avoided.
Last year I at one of our clubs a plane with around a 65cc go high idle and started to climb the man's legs! I think he stuck his hand in the engine to attempt to keep the plane off of him. He was so sure his finger was gone. Fortunatly he only dislocated knuckles, some bad cuts, and road-rashed both of his legs. That could have been ten times worse than it was. It could have severed the artery in his legs.
These planes are spinning props that are like spinning meat cleavers. A little extra safety and caution can go a long way. If I am in the least bit uncomfortable because of people around me or a possible distraction, I DO NOT crank any of my larger planes unless I can fully concentrate on what I am doing.
Thanks for the post. I think it will certainly help others.