RE: Safety Arm caught in 160 size engine
We had a similar incident last week. Below is a Safety Breif that is being distributed. Hopr it helps.
The intent of this Safety Brief is to make everyone aware of a serious injury that occurred last week at the flying field and to notify all members of a change in flight line rules.
Incident
Last week one of our members was very seriously cut while starting a ΒΌ scale plane. I believe the engine was a 1.40 4-stroke. Paramedics responded to the scene and took him to the hospital where he received 32 stitches between his wrist and elbow. He was released from the hospital later that day and is currently recovering.
The person injured will review the incident in detail at the next club meeting.
Key Learnings
1. No hold-down was used to restrain the large airplane.
2. The radio was not on, therefore the engine could not be remotely shut off. He indicated that he did not think the engine would start, hence he did not turn on the radio.
3. The address for the field was not known. Delayed paramedics response.
The following corrective actions were reviewed and approved by the club officers and will be incorporated into the next revision of the bi-laws.
Immediate Corrective Actions
a. Effective immediately, mechanical hold-down / restraint is required for all aircraft.
b. Effective immediately, all engines must have remote shut-off capability. Some radios have a shut-off button. Throttle trim can also be used.
c. Signs that have the field address will be place near the runway and under the pavilion.
Should there be any questions, please contact me.
John Shaffer, Safety Officer
AMA 196