Oww, Oww, Oww!!!

[Crimson Ghost]

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=51140
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Morristown helicopter pilot killed by rotor contact


A helicopter pilot has been killed in Morristown. Shortly before 4 Friday afternoon, a helicopter pilot dropped off passengers and was refueling at Morristown Air Service, according to Morristown Police.


Airport management reports he had gotten out to help the passengers disembark and was walking back to get into the helicopter.

He apparently walked into the main rotor and was killed. His name has not been released, but Morristown Police say he was 64 years old and operating a charter flight from out of state.

Morristown Police and the county coroner are investigating.

Police say all indications are that it was an accident, and it will be turned over the Federal Aviation Administration.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Heard of a nonfatal instance of that sometime in the Korean War. A hard landing pretty thoroughly bent a Hiller H-23 (the MASH show model grasshopper chopper) breaking off one rotor blade, stalling the engine and absorbing most of the momentum in the rotor. The pilot, still in his helmet, stepped out to one side of the bashed machine to tend to something immediate -- getting his passenger clear or something hurried like that. Seems he wasn't quite clear of the rotor radius and he stood all the way up.

*Pow*

Something clouted him a hella smack on the back of his crash helmet. The one rotor blade still on the hub had sneaked up behind him and mugged him good.

He's believed in crash helmets ever since, I must say.

[ZenGum]

Meanwhile, the Australian ABC reports:

Man impaled on tree in abseiling accident

A 27-year-old man has serious injuries after an abseiling accident on Mount Tinbeerwah at the Sunshine Coast.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman says the man was impaled on a tree at the bottom of the mountain with the branch protruding through his abdomen.

Energex helicopter pilot John Hodges says it was a difficult rescue operation.

"He was doing a rapid descent and he has actually descended very quickly and impaled himself in the lower regions with this stick that has gone right through into his abdomen," he said.

"The stick broke off and he kept going down through to the ground.

"We have winched him out of there along with a crewman and flown him to Nambour Hospital."

Impaled in the "lower regions" ... just vague enough that the mystery hurts worse than specific details.
Probably better that the stick broke off though ... imagine being spitted on the tree and needing to be rescued from there!

[glatt]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

imagine being spitted on the tree and needing to be rescued from there!

I read that that's how Elizabeth Shue's brother died. Swinging from a rope swing into a swimming hole. Fell onto a dead pointy branch instead. Impaled him, and apparently nobody was able to reach him to free him before he died. Imagine just helplessly standing around in your bathing suit watching someone you love die a slow painful death. Horrible.

[Trilby]

Originally Posted by glatt

I read that that's how Elizabeth Shue's brother died. Swinging from a rope swing into a swimming hole. Fell onto a dead pointy branch instead. Impaled him, and apparently nobody was able to reach him to free him before he died. Imagine just helplessly standing around in your bathing suit watching someone you love die a slow painful death. Horrible.

Now chemo doesn't seem so bad!