Model Walks Into Airplane Propeller

McKinney, Tex. - Lauren Scruggs, the Texas model who was severely injured when she walked into the moving propeller of an airplane is now making miraculous strides, according to her family, who report Wednesday she is walking for the first time since the incident only four days ago. According to witnesses, Scruggs, 23, had just exited the small plane on Saturday night, Dec. 3, 2011, and reportedly walked in front of the moving propeller. Her family and friends told media that they believe she was heading over to thank the pilot, but did not see the propeller was still in motion because it was dark. She was rushed to the hospital and reportedly lost her left hand and sustained severe damage to her head and shoulder. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the tragic accident.

Link

I'm glad she lived and is apparently already talking and walking at this point. I just don't see how someone walks into a propeller. Any pilots care to explain this one? I've never been around a plane this small. I've done some pretty stupid crap in my time that resulted in injury but I just don't get this one. I'm almost wondering if she got pushed.

Originally posted by Domo1
Any pilots care to explain this one?

On other websites they're saying the standard safety procedure is to not let passengers disembark before the prop stops.
General consensus is that some safety rules were breached somewhere along the line.

Jesus, but i spose she is a model, and the darwin awards state that if your that #ing stupid you should not be passing your genes on. 23 years of age and not knowing the fundementals of how planes work

remind me of this.

reply to post by Domo1


I'm not buying the conspiracy angle on this one...At least not one that suggests she was pushed......I mean she is walking and talking at this point. I think she'd have mentioned being pushed.....Plus I'd imagine the pilot would have seen something.

Honestly it's really hard to imagine how someone could miss the noise from the prop, even if she couldn't see it for some reason.....I mean if she was deaf then I suppose I could imagine it.....but I'm at a loss to explain how someone couldn't hear (or even feel the breeze) coming off the thing. If I had to guess at something hushed up here, then I'd sooner guess that she'd been drinking, or on some other drugs....I just can't imagine this happening otherwise.

Originally posted by definity
Jesus, but i spose she is a model, and the darwin awards state that if your that #ing stupid you should not be passing your genes on. 23 years of age and not knowing the fundementals of how planes work

edit on 8-12-2011 by definity because: (no reason given)

although very harsh, still extremely funny.

haha, But hey, i could see myself doing the exact same thing, but natural selection should have taken me a long time ago.

I remember the same thing happened to a guy back in the 80's. In that case the guy got off the little plan and just kind of ran right into the propeller, probably not realizing it was there because it was still moving so fast. IIRC, they think he might have been running to the bathroom, or something mundane like that. The guy survived, but he was severely mangled to the point that he lost an arm and part of his brain was apparently coming out of his head.

i like this one too

www.theaustralian.com.au...

darwin awards are funny
let em keep on rollin'

reply to post by Domo1

Prop hypnosis. Sensory overload in a noisy environment, a brain that did not evolve to track spinning objects that are stationary in space, tunnel vision that excludes the prop so one can watch out for moving planes, fatigue, overfamiliarity, inexperience around small aircraft, take your pick.

reply to post by Domo1

Any pilots care to explain this one?

Yes.

First, I went to the ABC News story, to get the airplane type. It was a "Husky":

en.wikipedia.org...

Often mistaken for a Cub, which is (was) built by the Piper Aircraft company. Like the Cub, it is a two-seater, and the seats are tandem, rather than side-by-side.

Also like the Cub, the door is on the right-hand side. From the ABC article, it seems she exited, and walked a distance, then turned back to once again "thank" the pilot.....her injuries were on the left, so either she approached front, and to the left of the airplane, or she walked into the prop on the right-hand side, going forward.

I do agree that it was very poor supervision and decision-making on the part of that pilot. Letting a non-pilot and someone not familiar with airplanes anywhere near an operating propeller without proper supervision and guidance.

But unfortunately, such accidents continue to occur.

Many years ago, it was a bit traumatic for me, at a small commuter airline, when a ramp agent lost an arm...this, a guy trained to be around the airplanes, but still, in close proximity (as the procedure for that particular airplane required, a very poor design where the ground power cable plugged into the side of the engine nacelle, just a few feet behind the propeller). It was not my flight, but we were parked next to it.

This same company has a "norm" to do what was called a "fast turn around" at some stations....a "one-engine turn" ("Turn" means the act of arriving/departing -- unloading, and loading again for departure).

I always thought it was foolhardy, even though the engine that was running was on the right side, and the entry door on the left....I watched intently each time, lest a child drop a toy and run after it, or something.....when I was a Captain there, I refused to do those types of fast turns.

She was probably on her cell phone. Every single day I encounter someone who does something completely stupid while driving, and much of the time they are on their cell phones. Is there a connection? Probably, as it is the only likely explanation to be so thoroughly engrossed that one cannot see or hear a moving prop.

Poor girl I hope that she and her family recover, it's a very unfortunate accident.

First off, when a prop is spinning, it becomes faded and the noise ots puts off actually isnt that loud. The engine yes. But props themselves make a noise that is pretty much hypnotising if you ask me.


I worked the flight deck on the Lincoln for a few years and thats one thing i took away with it. No i never ran into any props, but i can also say that i was rigoursly trained on topic of proper aircraft handling.

when you cant see it, and all the other things that are going on around you, it can become easy to lose focus, especially if someone isnt trained.

reply to post by Domo1


It seems it's not unprecedented amongst celeb's....

The propeller cut off Newton's right arm, he lost his right eye as well and also suffered life-threatened abdominal injuries.

...an Aussie sporting icon - The story of Jack Newton

At least Jack had an excuse - he had a few brews in him.

reply to post by definity


That was my first reaction "how does someone walk into a propeller?" but if you've ever been on a prop plane during the day, up close you see through the props. You can obviously see a disturbance of color and motion, but at night I expect you wouldn't see a dang thing. The only really confusing thing is that surely you must hear the props going?? And the positioning of the people according to the story makes no sense.. the girl is on one side of the props, the pilot on the other .. why in the world would the pilot leave the cockpit with the props moving and people on the ground, let alone stand right in front of them?

Seriously weird story OP

Accidents happen, and apparently this has happened before, to airport personnel, passengers, and others. It shouldn't have happened if proper safety procedures were followed. Its really sad how some people take joy in the horrific tragedies of others. I have a healthy sick sense of humor, but that's just sad and tragic. My prayers are with the victim and her family.
Seriously.

((sigh))

Ok, and...
Besides, propellers should have Blonde-Guards.
Ps, im blonde so I can say that. I used spell-check.

reply to post by gemdog


Im sorry to hear of the accident but this does sound like the start of a bar joke

A blonde walks into a propeller..

Im blonde to

Originally posted by definity
Jesus, but i spose she is a model, and the darwin awards state that if your that #ing stupid you should not be passing your genes on. 23 years of age and not knowing the fundementals of how planes work

remind me of this.

What does being a model have to do with it? Do you know many women i met when i worked in fashion who modeled to pay their way through college?

The original tv reports stated that the plane took off late in the day and landed about dark.

Could it be the prop was still spinning down? That would explain the lack of engine noise.
Or
If the prop was painted black and it was about dark.

reply to post by PhoenixOD

if you were a model then something mangled you horrifically, would you still want to survive?
since looks are everything in our society...