<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7>
<DIV>Robert, I can't speak to the three blade issue, but the safety point you
make is VERY important.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When I got back in this hobby about four years ago I threw a prop on my
trainer and it almost hit me in the face. After that I became very diligent
about staying behind the prop. Three years later I had become lackadaisical and
was cranking my engine at a 2004 NATS warm-up when the engine kicked and the
prop came spinning at full speed right at my face. Again I was lucky as the top
blade hit my hat and then bounced off of my sunglasses. This
stopped the bottom blade from continuing its revolution and hitting me
in the chin or throat. The impact on my glasses was so hard that I had to check
to see if I was bleeding. Needless to say this scared the bejeepers out of me!
Since that time I do my best to stay out of the plane of the prop, but I
sometimes find myself creeping back up there.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What's scary is that I regularly see guys cranking and running up these big
engines with their face directly in the plane of the prop. It scares me when I
see this, but people normally don't take it seriously when this is pointed out,
especially guys that have been doing this for a long time with no
incidents.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm glad this topic has come up and very glad no one was hurt in this most
recent incident. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Keith Black</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=RUDDERCABL@aol.com
href="mailto:RUDDERCABL@aol.com">RUDDERCABL@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 07, 2005 9:56
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Important Event
Report!!!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>I would like to urge that there not be an automatic condemnation of any
prop or prop engine combination. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One of the very first things we learn in this hobby is that "PROPS CAN
FAIL". There have been several reports lately of 3 blades failing ( including
mine ), but there have also been some 2 blade failures that haven't been
reported. Not saying that there is a cover up or anything, but that failures
have been by individuals that realize this can happen and take a rational
approach to the issue rather than a knee-jerk reaction. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>When mine failed, one of the first questions I got was " Well I quess you
won't be using three blades anymore?" My answer, " Yes I will. If it works
with the plane/ engine combination, there will be a three blade on
there".</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To me, the most important thing about these reports is that they should
be reminders that these things can and do happen. Everyone of us has at one
time or another subjected ourselves to the danger zone of the prop arch. Some
of us repeatedly violate this rule of physics. Take these reports as
reminders that we need to be vigilant about the care of our props and our own
safety around them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Robert Gainey</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>