Guy hit by plane

[AJV]

http://www.wkrn.com/story/25350612/nort ... owing-yard

[Illya Kuryakin]

You made this up. Right?
Illya

[pdw]

That's just a couple of days ago.

Some things are hard to believe though; must've just not heard it over the noise of the mower, or the other against the sun ...

[Pop n Fresh]

They younger guy on the mower was 74. He probably could not hear a Blue Oyster Cult concert anymore.

The accident was a terrible thing but I do think maybe I should move there and hang out with any octogenarian pilots to see if I can eventually become one.

[PositiveRate27]

Not hard to picture this at all... Green grass, green lawn mower, elderly man riding lawn mower wearing shirt and pants with an earthy colour... Elderly man flyng the airplane with reduced vision...

[LousyFisherman]

That's just unfair! Cutting the grass and that's your reward?

LF

[Pop n Fresh]

pr27, I was kind of thinking they should have had a nice red Toro. Strobes might be a good idea too.

How about a pair of small trailers with rather large bright white Xs on them to park at each end of the runway during mowing.

[ReserveTank]

Only an orange vest could have prevented that!

[frozen solid]

Only an orange vest could have prevented that!

...and then only if it was the pilot who was being forced to wear one!

[bobcaygeon]

That'll teach that young punk for trying to mow my lawn!!!

[lownslow]

That's really unfortunate and I hope the regulators involved aren't too heavy handed in their response.

A question, though, from someone who aspires to some day be the guy who mows a quiet grass strip: How do you reasonably prevent something like this? Would you do all of the passes down the centre of the runway with the wind at your back so you can see airplanes on approach? Find a wider mower to get the job over with faster? Mow only at midnight?

LnS.

[pdw]

How do you reasonably prevent something like this?

Relentless pursuit of preventative measures .... but where do you draw the line ? Monitoring the frequency at the uncontrolled airport would be a minimum necessity.

Having been around a successful safety conscious place, for years no accidents (knock on wood), I see it's mainly about staff always paying attention to what's going on / what could go wrong. Everyone out near the active is accompanied-with or has their own radio to stay in contact ...

Other than that, if this accident is so unusual maybe it can't be reasonably prevented; yet here, where the early spring mow (bad weather was coming), needed doing before the rain, is probably the same deal for many airports to stay on top-of. Where no ATC, the mower-crew can display 2-way signs on the ramp each time in plain view "Mowing in progress" ... among the other items already discussed.

[Shiny Side Up]

Doing maintenance at an uncontrolled aerodrome is always a risky activity. Frequently its pointless to have a radio since the equipment makes too much noise to listen to it, so you have to pay attention. On my mower I have a few mirrors set up so I can keep a better eye around myself. That said though, there's a lot of idiot pilot out there who don't bother to give you any room to get clear. As a pilot here's your chance to do a low pass to make sure that you're noticed, then come around for landing, but hey, no one's got that kind of time.

[lownslow]

As a pilot here's your chance to do a low pass to make sure that you're noticed

That's my favourite part of seeing a mower on the runway!

LnS.

[fleet16b]

As a pilot here's your chance to do a low pass to make sure that you're noticed

That's my favourite part of seeing a mower on the runway!

LnS.

Guys
I have recounted this story on AVCanada before but please think twice before you buzz someone .
Years ago in my area a pilot returned to his grass strip to find his buddy mowing the runway.
For a joke he decided to scare the $hit out of him and ended up decapitating him with the wingtip.
He landed the aircraft alright but went to jail for manslaughter.
A few years after he was released, he was struck in the head and killed by a prop blade while performing a compression check. (true story)
Karma ??

[Shiny Side Up]

No, its a much better idea to show how awesome you are and try to and hold short of where they're at on the runway, or better yet land right or left of the poor soul on the equipment because you're so awesome of a pilot you can like do that and not hit them.

Not talking buzz jobs fleet, just a go around at reasonable height to get noticed and give the guy on the equipment time to get clear. I'm not sure what it is about equipment on or near the runway that brings out the a$$hole/idiot tendencies in a lot of pilots. You know, those people who work to keep runways serviceable are just so irritating.

[fleet16b]

No, its a much better idea to show how awesome you are and try to and hold short of where they're at on the runway, or better yet land right or left of the poor soul on the equipment because you're so awesome of a pilot you can like do that and not hit them.

Not talking buzz jobs fleet, just a go around at reasonable height to get noticed and give the guy on the equipment time to get clear. I'm not sure what it is about equipment on or near the runway that brings out the a$$hole/idiot tendencies in a lot of pilots. You know, those people who work to keep runways serviceable are just so irritating.

Totally agree

[lownslow]

Hope nobody here is accusing me of any asshattery. I do fly responsibly.

LnS.