Video - hand prop close call

[CarbHeat]

And if memory serves me, I recall the IO-520 with a newer style starter adapter also prohibiting turning the engine in reverse because of the spring on the starter drive catching and causing damage or even itself breaking.

[Spandau]

I don't like to turn props unnecessarily but turning some backwards can cause damage. When I have to turn a prop I double check that everything is switched off and then turn the prop forward like I'm expecting it to fire. That guy was very, very lucky, but who had a camera trained on him like that? I'm sure it wasn't but it looked a little staged.

[PZL 1000]

I had one kick on me once hand-proppin' a Cessna 180 on wheel skies. The pilot had a live mag but had not been testing for it on shut-down. I've still got all 10 fingers so I was lucky. It's common practice to turn a prop through before any kind of start in very cold weather. Radial engines get pulled through even before a first start on a warm day to eliminate the chance of hydraulic lock. It is very important to check for a live mag during shutdown. It only takes a second.

[DonutHole]

Most of the radial guys I know use the starter and count blades before flipping the mags

[TeePeeCreeper]

Most of the radial guys I know use the starter and count blades before flipping the mags

No counting blades... (5-7 blades) two blade or three bladed prop? That kind of shit gets confusing!

Book says "3-6" primer "strokes"... Some of the birds at work like 8 full primes on a cold morning... Others prefer 6 with 10 "accelerator" throttle pumps (mags off of course)

Know your machine, every radial engine has its own quirks and quarks...

All the best
TPC

PS; There is no reason to turn a blade by hand on a horizontally opposed engine. None. (Unless you are flying a "Champ" or "J3"... Then again doing so if it's your only way out of the bush and your in a jam is handy to know how to do.

The guy in the video was lucky, fortunately for him!

[pelmet]

Ok then, you have decided to move the blades in the normal direction of rotation. How about, first putting in some chocks if available, park brake set, throttle closed, mixture idle cutoff, mags off, and fuel selector off. Of course most of these things are to prevent the runaway aircraft.

Sure wish this guy had read this thread...

FORT ST. JAMES (PERISON) Date: 2016-02-06

The owner of the Cessna 172A, C-FFWX, was hand-propping the engine of the aircraft to start it
before departure. Before he could get inside the aircraft, C-FFWX accelerated and collided with a
parked Cessna 172M, C-GZYR. There were no occupants in the parked aircraft, and the single
passenger inside C-FFWX was not injured.
Both aircraft were substantially damaged.