scott heger
04-12-2004, 10:30 PM
Last week a new owner of a Benson/Mac powered gyro nearly lost his arm with a prop strike at our airport.
The owner had recently acquired the gyro and had asked me to test fly it for him. I questioned him about his prior experience , and he told me that he had "some" time in helicopters. Further questions revealed that he was a student in helicopters, had 10-15 hours and had no license. I told him to go get some training in a gyro, and after that, I would be willing to balance it, but not fly it, as it had no insurance, a airport requirment. He was quite insistant on flying it without going and getting any more training,, and after spending 45 minutes telling him all the places and reasons to get training, he was not listening. I finally told him that if he really insisted to do it by himself, go to El Mirage where there wasn't much to run into, and to take a safety companion.
Well apparently, he didn't like everything I told him, and went over to the other side of the airport to talk to (yes its him) Dennis Fetters. I was told Dennis also told him(according to a third party) to seek training, and that the Airport(AJO) was a poor place to practice and learn.
I show up to the airport after being gone for two weeks, and 3 people come up to me with "did you here what happened to the other gyro". Well my heart felt heavy, as I felt he had crashed.....but, no. He had hand prop started the Mac alone(witout chocks), and managed, (story varies how) to getting the throttle wound up, and it nearly severed his right arm, leaving skinless hanging flesh, bone and blood everywhere. The gyro continued in a semicircle, puncturing a hanger door and imbedding itself. The picture of his arm injury is so grusome, that I am not going to post it, but you would NEVER hand start another Mac if you saw the damage it did to him. All three paramedic units from the City of Corona responded, along with a Mercy Air helicopter, and transported him to Loma Linda Hospital trama Center. The quick action saved his life, the arm is still in doubt.
I can only wish for his recovery, but his life will be changed forever. To all you newbies, please listen.... get qualified training and instruction. This is a example where the gyro damned near killed the "pilot" and he was no where near getting to a runway yet. Listening to what other experienced people told him, would have saved a immense amount of pain and suffering.
Scott Heger,l Laguna Niguel, Ca SportCopter N86SH
__________________
The owner had recently acquired the gyro and had asked me to test fly it for him. I questioned him about his prior experience , and he told me that he had "some" time in helicopters. Further questions revealed that he was a student in helicopters, had 10-15 hours and had no license. I told him to go get some training in a gyro, and after that, I would be willing to balance it, but not fly it, as it had no insurance, a airport requirment. He was quite insistant on flying it without going and getting any more training,, and after spending 45 minutes telling him all the places and reasons to get training, he was not listening. I finally told him that if he really insisted to do it by himself, go to El Mirage where there wasn't much to run into, and to take a safety companion.
Well apparently, he didn't like everything I told him, and went over to the other side of the airport to talk to (yes its him) Dennis Fetters. I was told Dennis also told him(according to a third party) to seek training, and that the Airport(AJO) was a poor place to practice and learn.
I show up to the airport after being gone for two weeks, and 3 people come up to me with "did you here what happened to the other gyro". Well my heart felt heavy, as I felt he had crashed.....but, no. He had hand prop started the Mac alone(witout chocks), and managed, (story varies how) to getting the throttle wound up, and it nearly severed his right arm, leaving skinless hanging flesh, bone and blood everywhere. The gyro continued in a semicircle, puncturing a hanger door and imbedding itself. The picture of his arm injury is so grusome, that I am not going to post it, but you would NEVER hand start another Mac if you saw the damage it did to him. All three paramedic units from the City of Corona responded, along with a Mercy Air helicopter, and transported him to Loma Linda Hospital trama Center. The quick action saved his life, the arm is still in doubt.
I can only wish for his recovery, but his life will be changed forever. To all you newbies, please listen.... get qualified training and instruction. This is a example where the gyro damned near killed the "pilot" and he was no where near getting to a runway yet. Listening to what other experienced people told him, would have saved a immense amount of pain and suffering.
Scott Heger,l Laguna Niguel, Ca SportCopter N86SH
__________________