My Accident – or – Never start your engine on the ground!!!

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Please take a few minutes of your time to read this and think about it the next time you want to start your engine on the ground, I hope to prevent other pilots from having the same accident!

Part 2 – The Reason for the Accident-> https://paramotorgermany.com/2016/04/22/accident-report-part-2-exact-reason-and-what-will-i-change-in-future/

Hello everybody,

Some of you already wondered why I didn’t publish any pics of the last weekend yet. Friday morning 1st of April 2016 I had an accident with my engine on the ground in North Sweden.

Many of you know that I’m always a person that say’s “don’t start your engine on the ground” and in the last years I was nearly always able to follow this. When I got a new engine earlier this year we even made a modification so I can use the choke when I have the engine on my back.

Anyway Friday morning I had problems with starting it and after several attempts I made the fatal decission to put it on the ground to continue. Important to say, I checked pushing and release of my throttle to see if the throttle cable was stuck but it was moving. Now I know that this is no fact that proofs that its fine. I guess I know what was the problem and will publish it later when I’m sure about it, but at the moment it’s not important as many things can cause a problem like this. It’s nothing specific for one manufacturer, everybody can get in this situation.
When I finally was able to start the engine around 10.30am I stand sideways to it and hold the frame with my right hand. When the engine started it went directly full power and in milliseconds even before I was able to do anything it came in my direction and hit my right upper arm. For good luck I didn’t try to hold it back with my hands but just went backwards so the engine fell on the harness and continued full power.

I touched my right arm with the left hand and felt directly my fingers going deep into the meat so I directly understand that its not only a scratch but a big mess on my arm. Everybody around was shocked and I went back to my motor, took the throttle and killed the engine.
I tried to cover the wound on my arm to minimize bleeding an was so happy that the other pilots directly started to call ambulance, get first aid kit and bring some blankets so I can lay down on the ice. Ola is my big hero as he managed to make perfect pressure bandage to stop bleeding and hold together everything. I’m so happy about the great job he did, he also continued checking my pulse… so he was able to give detailed information not only about my arm but also my health status at all.
I was permanently in awareness and had no circulation problems and most important for me I was able to move my fingers.

After 2h 15min in Ambulance car on the bumpy road to Lulea I arrived at the hospital where we first time opened the bandage at 1.30pm. I was a bit scared that there is a big part missing as I’ve seen a huge gap in my arm from my point of view, on the photo it don’t look that worse.

Later on afternoon we did Xray to check the bone. It’s a wonder but I didn’t damage the bone and the radialis nerv, so I’m also able to move my fingers.

In evening I had surgery to stitch the Trizeps back together and close the cuts in the skin. I asked for regional anesthesia and we tried it but it didn’t work as planed and I still had too much pain when they touched it so they send me full anesthesia.
As I was in good condition I was luckily allowed to leave hospital Saturday afternoon and went back to see my friends.
Finally I need to say that I’m a very lucky and happy man. Not only I could have been much more injured but also about the great friends I made up in the north the last years so I never felt helpless, lost or alone even when I was 3000 kilometers far away from home. Don’t need to write all their names here as I’m sure they know it.

Actual status: My fingers are still somewhat numb what hopefully is just because of the swelling – but otherwise I have good chance for full recovery! What is the most important for me.

Only thing I ask YOU is to think about my story the next time you want to start your engine on the ground! I also thought I’m careful and aware of the risk so no problem for me but I learned my lesson!

See you (hopefully soon) in the air and always happy landings!!!

Yours

Bene – ParamotorGermany.com

P.S. Please don’t use photos without permission

Part 2 – The Reason for the Accident->  https://paramotorgermany.com/2016/04/22/accident-report-part-2-exact-reason-and-what-will-i-change-in-future/