Model Survives Being Struck By Propeller

This blonde got propelled onto a whole new level.

so sad.

I noticed she was a blonde.

Shannon, I’m a pilot (private, not commercial), and depending on what direction a person is coming from, they may not feel the prop wash until it’s too late. (If there is more than one aircraft in the immediate area, they may feel prop wash coming from more than one direction, too.) Also, when the prop is spinning, you can’t see it.

Many people who aren’t used to being around small piston-driven aircraft are confused by the noises and sensations associated with them, and can do some really freaky things trying to get away from the noise and air flow when they’re around planes with spinning props. This is why, as a pilot, one of the first things I do when I’m taking someone to the airport to ride in a piston-driven airplane is explain to them that once they step out of the FBO building onto the apron where the aircraft are tied down, I become a dictator whose word is absolute law. I tell them where they stand, when they can talk to me, where they can walk and where they can’t, when and where they can enter the plane and leave the plane. And I tell them that this is a safety issue, and that if they don’t do as I say, then the flight terminates as soon as I can safely terminate it.

Without exception, first-time flyers in prop aircraft have all made the comment that they were surprised to find you can’t see the prop when it’s turning. And many people have commented to me that because they feel overwhelmed with the noise and the airflow caused by the prop when they’re standing near a plane with the prop turning, they can understand how easy it would be for someone to walk into a turning prop, especially if there are several aircraft in the area and it’s very noisy and confusing.

As for the comment by Moe about a wing strut, in a high-wing aircraft like a Cessna or Citabria, that might be true– but not always. The Cessna Cardinal is a high-wing aircraft that doesn’t have struts. And there are high-wing twin prop aircraft that don’t have struts. Also, low-wing aircraft, like the Piper Archer, don’t have struts.

FWIW, I’ve seen some crazy things happen with props. I’ve seen someone forget to take the tow bar off the front wheel before starting the prop, which caused a prop strike and sent the tow bar flying across the apron to hit another aircraft. I saw a guy who was flying from our FBO for the first time and who sent gravel flying into all the cars in the FBO parking lot when he started a plane facing the wrong way (we all knew to use tow the planes out away from the fence and turn them 90 degrees before starting). I’ve seen garbage cans get knocked over when someone turned their plane and the prop wash caught the can.

When you’re flying piston aircraft, you have to be a tyrant about people moving around near the prop. You just have to be very, very, very careful. And you never assume that other people will know there’s a spinning prop nearby, especially if they aren’t regular flyers themselves.

Cat Whisperer, wow. That was an excellent explanation! Thank you for taking the time to write this.

Cat Whisperer – thanks for you comments. I recall taking private pilot lessons a few years back and everything you detailed is exactly right. Add to that it was night time, you can’t the prop spinning in the day time, so add spacial disorientation and the noise and there you go. I was always instructed to shut down the engine (and prop) before ANYBODY got out of the plane (pilot included). This is all pilot error. Poor girl.

That’s right. It isn’t funny at all when somebody is suffering like that. I bet they wouldn’t think it’s funny if it happened to them.

CAT WHISPERER, I appreciate your intelligent, helpful comment. Thank you.

Why do people act like they never made a mistake or had an accident,to you idiots that can’t help but joke about other peoples misfortunes,just remember It could be you next time ,I simply wonder how we can be of the same species?

I work part time at the local airport and own an airplane. This makes me cringe.

Who walks into the propeller of a single-engine plane? I’ve spent 20 years working in, on, and around both propeller-driven aircraft and jets and I have never let my situational awareness go so low as to not know where it is safe to be. The pilot probably should have waited until the propeller had stopped spinning before allowing the passengers off (if only to avoid the inevitable lay suit) but there needs to be some personal responsibility on the part of the young lady. The article made it seem like she wasn’t completely unintelligent; but then, some of the most educated people I know don’t have enough common sense not to walk into a spinning propeller.

Maybe this was JUST God’s way of humbling her. The Lord works in mysterious ways yall. Only He will know why He planned this for her. Just be glad He has chosen to let her continue living her life. Maybe NOW she will take the opportunity to give herself totally to Him, before He plans for her to step in front of a speeding car. It’s obvious her heart was not completely open to Jesus. Otherwise He wouldn’t have pushed a plane’s running propellers into her face, laughing a silent invisible laugh the whole time. Praise the Lord. He had a plan for Lauren. Better get right with Jesus yall, or He will find a way to humble you too!

Now be honest, that would be a valid argument in regards to God saving her eye, etc. This was a horrible accident, whose blame most likely lies with the pilot for not shutting the plane off. In any case, no fictional character caused or could have prevented it from happening and same said fictional character will have no say in what happens to her eye. Pray to the Almighty Mickey Mouse. You’ll have equal IF NOT BETTER odds it will help.

@ NOWTHATITHINKOFIT….really? You come on here preaching Christianity and this was God’s way of humbling her? Did you know this young lady? I am a Christian as well, but I don’t feel the need to go around placing my judgement on ANYONE and especially not someone I do not know. I’m not sure about your Bible, but mine teaches me love, tolerance, and grace. Those 3 things are the way to show His love.

I’m an Airline transport Pilot and fly small planes often and I can say that this happened due to pilot negligence. It is not the poor girls fault at all. The aircraft environment is unfamiliar to most people and with this happening at night, it is easy to do something this dangerous when you aren’t used to being around airplane and sometimes it’s worse if you are – you become complacent. The pilot should have thoroughly briefed as he is mandated to do IAW 14CFR Part 91 (Federal regulation), the danger areas of the aircraft and which path to take when walking away from / around the aircraft if he is going to be negligent enough and too lazy to stop the engine when having passengers leave the aircraft – especially in a high-wing aircraft.
This pilot is a fool and had the responsibility to take care of all of his passengers until the engine stopped. He should never be able to carry passengers again. This isn’t a dumb blonde issue, it’s a pilot safety issue. Lack of discipline and just laziness.

Some of the comments here are unbelievable, 1st this is Pilot Error and nothing else, as the Airline transport Pilot and CatWisperer stated there are procedures that were not followed that deal with the safety of his passengers. JC you really need some help there buddy, and I pray that God forgives you for your comments on this. Nobody speaks for God.

My understanding was she had gotten out, and was in front of the plane and safe. She then went back to thank the pilot on the pilot side and walked into the prop.

Sorry, I meant Cat Whisperer as the contributor above. Stay strong Lauren and lean on family and friends like never before. They’ll lift you up until you can do it on your own.

“Say That” 2CENTS! Thanks a great deal for your explanation to those of us who didn’t know CAT WHISPERER!

Pilot should be ashamed of himself. The assumption that folks outside of the aviation industry will know how to navigate around turning props is wrongheaded and mean-spirited.
This could have been this young lady’s first time ever around aircraft. I am always in control of my prop when it’s turning. And unlike ARF40, I reject the idea that it’s every man for himself out there.

This is a sad ,unfortunate event. Reading some of these comments about her reminds me of how people say kids can be cruel to one another …looks like the stupidity continues long after high school. Wow. Also @ jc I grew up going to church since I was an infant and saw many types of self-righteous people,judgemental people and people who just truly do not represent what Jesus is all about. The bible says judge not less you be judged. I wonder if these people even read the bible. Sounds a little like I’m judging myself …but jc I think its possible if you don’t change your way of thinking,you can live this life thinking your so high and mighty and HE will say to you on judgement day depart from me I never knew you. Let’s love people to God…not hate people into wanting a relationship with him. That doesn’t make sense. My thoughts and prayers are with this young lady and her family. It’s Christmas time. Let’s start loving each other.

It’s funny how many people here are scolding others for judging this young woman, but they themselves don’t hesitate to leap to judge the pilot, even without knowing all the details. Look, you can’t fix stupid. What if, as some reports say, the pilot did everything right. He may have shut down, unloaded the aircraft, loaded back up and started up again. She was out, SAFE, clear at some point. She came BACK! Some reports say that he had just began to taxi when she ran back to the pilots side of the aircraft. Lets wait and see before ANY of you begin pointing fingers.

Why’s everyone blaming the pilot before even knowing the facts? My Dad has been a private pilot since I was 4 (I’m 31 now) and I’ve been flying with him since then. I can’t imagine any scenario where I would accidentally walk into a spinning propeller. Some are here saying that it’s easy to get confused…I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it. I know in busy airports (read: military in Nam) injuries like this happen. Those are terrible, but they’re not the norm. And when they do happen there’s usually a reason.

I also don’t understand why people are just assuming the pilot didn’t tell her to stay in the plane until the prop stopped. Maybe he did. Maybe she didn’t listen. Who knows.

Wait for the facts to come out then place blame.

Way to go people, let’s keep coddling the idiots in the world. Person gets out of an airplane, with the engine running…ok, no big deal. Here’s the amazing part. This propeller she walks into (Remember, the headline is “model walks into propeller”, not “pilot runs over passenger”), is driven by a four or six cylinder piston engine, with no mufflers. In other words, LOUD. Not some ceiling fan driven by a whisper quiet electric motor. How stupid are the people of the world getting? Another example just yesterday is the man who shoots himself in the head with a nail gun, and we’re giving him his 15 min of fame for it?
What really confuses me is why this man is voluntarily getting in front of the camera so all the world can put a face to the stupidity they have heard about. These arent simple accidents America, we are interferring with God’s plan of weeding out the stupid ones by saving them. These people should not be allowed to procreate. Their brains are where knowledge goes to die.
Let’s stop making it socially acceptable to be ignorant