TALLINN, Estonia — Authorities say a skydiver was killed when she walked into a spinning aircraft propeller at an airfield in Estonia.
The incident happened as a group of skydivers were boarding the turboprop plane in the western town of Rapla.
Kulli Kivioja of the regional prosecutor's office said the 29-year-old victim died instantly after she was hit by one of the twin-engine aircraft's propellers. Kivioja said Saturday's incident is under investigation.
Parachuting club Skydive Estonia says the woman was an experienced skydiver who had made 224 jumps.
DODCFR From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 70 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (4 years 11 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 3032 times:
I remember my brother telling me that once upon a time (I was just 2 years old) my mom took us to pick up my dad at the United Hangar at DEN when another mechanic walked through the prop of a DC-3. Can anybody out there confirm if this really happened or not. It had to be between 1956 and 1960.
Contrails From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 1820 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 11 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2810 times:
It's a bummer of a way to die, but it happens somewhere a few times a year. I can almost understand a rookie ramper walking into one, but an experienced skydiver? It's hard to believe.
Someone once told me that anyone near a moving propeller must use extreme caution at all times, not losing your focus on where you are for even a second. I always thought that was good advice.
Jfidler From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 301 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (4 years 11 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2749 times:
I actually drove by this area a few hours after it occurred on Saturday. Later I learned why the rescue vehicles were there
It occurred at Kuusiku airstrip, which is in Rapla county (the article above is a bit inaccurate; there is also a Rapla city but it did not occur there). According to an article in the local Estonian press, the aircraft was a Britten Norman Islander. In the photo accompanying the article, the reg nr is ES-PNA but it could be an illustrative photo only (very common for this newspaper). I remember when the news came out, it was initially thought to be a suicide but now they are unsure. The incident is under criminal investigation at the moment.
AndrewUber From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 2528 posts, RR: 44 Reply 4, posted (4 years 11 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2652 times:
I flew a Beech King Air B100 for about a year for a small company in Alabama. On a boring afternoon a couple of years ago I was browsing the NTSB database, and discovered that the bird I flew (N753D) was involved in a similar incident two years before I even flew it. Talk about creepy - a lineman had just completed a power cart start when he disconnected the cable and walked right into the prop. The autopsy discovered maijuana in his system.