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Aviation Injuries

FlyinRock

FlyinRock

Registered User
Was sitting around, bored, and wondered how many others here have been injured in an aviation accident? More than just banging your head during a pre-flight. I'm talking about accidents where someone bled.
Mine occured in 1967 when I went down at night into trees with a student on board. Serious injuries for both of us and one helluva learning experience for an instructor! Have not injured anyone since then (except those who deserved it)
Does this come under the heading of war stories, or "no shit there I was..."
Semper Fi
Rocky
 
feddoc

feddoc

Really old guy
Contributor
Bled...nope, but, I was being lifted off a canyon floor and the Huey took off a bit prior to taking the slack up in the hoist cable. Hurt so f'n bad I wondered if letting go would reduce the pain. Now I find out I have two herniated discs in my back and two in my neck.
 
BACONATOR

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
MasterBates said:
Since my flight surgeon is known to lurk here.. I'm not saying shit.
Click to expand...

Let me guess, your story involves an under-qualified female SNA in the HTs, who was a PC-project pushed through to wings (didn't make it), despite unsatisfactory performance?
 
Bevo16

Bevo16

Registered User
pilot
I had an AW gash his face open doing SAR jumps in San Dog bay. He slipped in the boat that they had picking them up and caught his forehead on the steering console. It took 20 something stitches to close him up.
 
blackbart22

blackbart22

Well-Known Member
pilot
Only got banged up in two of my crashes. The AD-5Q ditching got the left side of my face. My harness was locked but it was so violent that I slid in the harnness and smashed my face on the stick, driving pieces of my visor into my face. Still have a one inch vertical crack under my left eye socket. The QF-9 crash broke my left shoulder, gave me a double compression fracture of my back, and took out the right side of my face. Yeah, I used to look like Paul Newman.
 
FlyinRock

FlyinRock

Registered User
BlackBart
I stuck a Piper Pawnee in a bean field while crop dusting and was surprised at how far I moved forward in spite of the harness. My helmet left a ding on the crash roll in front of the panel and I had a sore neck for weeks. The helmet saved me from a cracked skull for sure!
It is amazing at how much give there is in restraint systems, or is it the body stretching? Also have personal knowledge of two ag pilots whose restraint systems failed and they died. I think it was faulty equipment that was pushed past its limits. One with massive chest injuries when he hit the stick, and the other for not using his shoulder harness and he was decapitated when his head hit the panel. It was found outside the crash behind the wing. ouch
Rocky
Vista High 1952-3
 
CumminsPilot

CumminsPilot

VA...not so bad
pilot
FlyinRock said:
BlackBart
Also have personal knowledge of two ag pilots whose restraint systems failed and they died.
Click to expand...

I watched an ag plane I'd just loaded attempt to take off with the control lock in place (it was on the right wing, we loaded from the left side). A hop, skip, and a bounce out through the pucker-brush later, the pilot was knocked the fuck out and the plane was destroyed. His helmet/restraints definitely saved his life. Smashed the back of the helmet in flat, and the front was cracked where he'd hit the instrument panel. He broke the stick in half, not sure if it was with his body or his hand fighting it though.

He finally woke up about 25 mins later while we were still waiting on the ambulance. His head hurt for weeks.

Was also the only time I've seen a 4-door Chevy 2500 get about 10 feet of air over a ditch while racing to the crash. Dad said he never even saw the ditch until he was airborne. haha
 
wlawr005

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Had a AW friend who got his hand caught in the steel cable leading to the end of a drone recovery pole. The pilot started to climb a little and the drone got caught in the rotor wash...the cable got tight around the guys hand and crushed his thumb. Since the thumb was crushed instead of severed, it couldn't be reattached. Guy is still one of the best crewman I know, even with only nine fingers!
 
Alpha_Echo_606

Alpha_Echo_606

Does not play well with others!™
Contributor
It's been a nice long time since I was hurt in the aviation industry.(knock on wood) The last one I witnessed was a young tank rat that was pressure cleaning a C130 wing tank with 10,000 PSI of water and he zip tied one of the triggers closed making a 2 safety device a single. Needless to say he accidently miss placed the wand and the other trigger depressed and it cut his arm clean through. His tank attendant was too fat to fit in the tank but managed to get help quick enough that the young kid didn't die.

He learned a valuable lesson that day, don't cheat the safety devices or they'll get you. He has yet to return to work.
 
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