dezertdog
Senior Member
So the forum topic is dead on, it needed stitches. Specifically about 18 of them. I don't want to gloss over this, or hide it. I made a huge mistake today and paid for it. I knew the rules, thought I was following them, and due to complacency got bit.
I'll just jump right into it. I was balancing props on the tricopter today, and thought I was being safe. I had only one prop on, the other two ESC's unplugged, one hand firmly on the boom and one hand on the throttle stick.
I was spinning it up to mid stick, checking vibrations, then dropping it back down, putting throttle hold on, unplugging the battery and moving the tape. I thought this was a reasonable protocol and got into a groove of spinning down and letting go of the boom at the same time.
The third time I moved the tape and spun up the prop, for some reason I will never know, instead of closing the throttle I opened it while at the same time letting go of the boom. The rear 10x14.7 prop at full rpm shot straight at me. I was able to bat it back down, close the throttle and unplug the battery. I then noticed that the prop was broken and bright red while just starting to feel a sharp pain in my leg and inside my elbow. I looked down and I was covered in blood.
I immediately went to my first aid kit and cleaned the wounds, bandaged them up and assessed what the hell was going on now that things were a little more under control. My leg had a 20 degree 3" slice into it that had formed a big flap. The inside of my elbow had a 2" split, about 1/2" deep. They were stitch material for sure, and I now had to re bandage my leg as it had bled through the first wrap and head out.
I drove to the ER, told my story, got two rows of stitches inside my elbow (which ended up being about 1/2" away from my Brachial artery) and a nice ladder stitch up my leg to hold my new skin flap on.
I've been flying for years, I know the rules and I broke them. I'm very embarrassed about this, but it should be shared to remind people why the rules exist. I was lazy and let go of the boom while still manipulating the throttle. That one little slip up was all it took, if I had left my hand on the boom it would have been scary, but not bloody.
Attached are pics of the cuts from the ER. Do not open the zip file if you do not want to see pictures of open wounds. You have been warned.
I'll just jump right into it. I was balancing props on the tricopter today, and thought I was being safe. I had only one prop on, the other two ESC's unplugged, one hand firmly on the boom and one hand on the throttle stick.
I was spinning it up to mid stick, checking vibrations, then dropping it back down, putting throttle hold on, unplugging the battery and moving the tape. I thought this was a reasonable protocol and got into a groove of spinning down and letting go of the boom at the same time.
The third time I moved the tape and spun up the prop, for some reason I will never know, instead of closing the throttle I opened it while at the same time letting go of the boom. The rear 10x14.7 prop at full rpm shot straight at me. I was able to bat it back down, close the throttle and unplug the battery. I then noticed that the prop was broken and bright red while just starting to feel a sharp pain in my leg and inside my elbow. I looked down and I was covered in blood.
I immediately went to my first aid kit and cleaned the wounds, bandaged them up and assessed what the hell was going on now that things were a little more under control. My leg had a 20 degree 3" slice into it that had formed a big flap. The inside of my elbow had a 2" split, about 1/2" deep. They were stitch material for sure, and I now had to re bandage my leg as it had bled through the first wrap and head out.
I drove to the ER, told my story, got two rows of stitches inside my elbow (which ended up being about 1/2" away from my Brachial artery) and a nice ladder stitch up my leg to hold my new skin flap on.
I've been flying for years, I know the rules and I broke them. I'm very embarrassed about this, but it should be shared to remind people why the rules exist. I was lazy and let go of the boom while still manipulating the throttle. That one little slip up was all it took, if I had left my hand on the boom it would have been scary, but not bloody.
Attached are pics of the cuts from the ER. Do not open the zip file if you do not want to see pictures of open wounds. You have been warned.
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