Narrative:

On nov/fri/97, I was involved in a serious accident that happened in orlando on the ramp prior to departure of a flight to miami at XA25. As it was raining during boarding of the flight, gate agents were handing out umbrellas to passenger, these to be collected at the aircraft. A boarding agent was collecting the umbrellas at the stairway of the aircraft. I myself was standing between engine #1 and the stairway, to assist passenger. Engine #2 was already started. The agent in charge of collecting the umbrellas was himself using an umbrella. At this time most of the passenger had boarded. The agent had filled up the container with umbrellas. However I noticed that he also had one open umbrella pinned down to the ground with his foot. He now tired to collect one more umbrella from a passenger when he lost control of the one under his foot. He was too slow in retrieving it and it was picked up by the wind. The wind blew the open umbrella around the front of the aircraft, towards the propeller of engine #2. I was about to warn agent not to go after the umbrella, because of the danger, when I saw from underneath the fuselage that the umbrella was headed straight into the propeller. The now destroyed umbrella was ejected from the propeller and came at me with incredible force, causing injury. Paramedics were called and I was rushed to florida hospital. I was treated for 3 deep cuts to my right arm, one of which required 7 stitches, one cut on my left arm, one cut on my right thigh, on my face and numerous bruises. At XE30 I was discharged from the hospital. To ensure that an accident of this kind does not happen again I have some suggestions: the ramp/gate agents need better training so they understand the danger of spinning propellers. Engines should not be running, if passenger approach aircraft with umbrellas. Perhaps the first officer should not be positioned between the stairway and engine #1, when engine #2 is running.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 ACR FLC RPT THAT THE FO WAS INJURED BY AN UMBRELLA THAT WAS PULLED INTO THE #2 PROP. THE UMBRELLA WAS THEN FORCIBLY DISCHARGED INTO THE FO WHO WAS STANDING BTWN THE #1 ENG AND THE ACFT ENTRY STAIRWAY. THE FO REQUIRED A NUMBER OF STITCHES, BUT WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL LATER THAT DAY.

Narrative: ON NOV/FRI/97, I WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN ORLANDO ON THE RAMP PRIOR TO DEP OF A FLT TO MIAMI AT XA25. AS IT WAS RAINING DURING BOARDING OF THE FLT, GATE AGENTS WERE HANDING OUT UMBRELLAS TO PAX, THESE TO BE COLLECTED AT THE ACFT. A BOARDING AGENT WAS COLLECTING THE UMBRELLAS AT THE STAIRWAY OF THE ACFT. I MYSELF WAS STANDING BTWN ENG #1 AND THE STAIRWAY, TO ASSIST PAX. ENG #2 WAS ALREADY STARTED. THE AGENT IN CHARGE OF COLLECTING THE UMBRELLAS WAS HIMSELF USING AN UMBRELLA. AT THIS TIME MOST OF THE PAX HAD BOARDED. THE AGENT HAD FILLED UP THE CONTAINER WITH UMBRELLAS. HOWEVER I NOTICED THAT HE ALSO HAD ONE OPEN UMBRELLA PINNED DOWN TO THE GND WITH HIS FOOT. HE NOW TIRED TO COLLECT ONE MORE UMBRELLA FROM A PAX WHEN HE LOST CTL OF THE ONE UNDER HIS FOOT. HE WAS TOO SLOW IN RETRIEVING IT AND IT WAS PICKED UP BY THE WIND. THE WIND BLEW THE OPEN UMBRELLA AROUND THE FRONT OF THE ACFT, TOWARDS THE PROP OF ENG #2. I WAS ABOUT TO WARN AGENT NOT TO GO AFTER THE UMBRELLA, BECAUSE OF THE DANGER, WHEN I SAW FROM UNDERNEATH THE FUSELAGE THAT THE UMBRELLA WAS HEADED STRAIGHT INTO THE PROP. THE NOW DESTROYED UMBRELLA WAS EJECTED FROM THE PROP AND CAME AT ME WITH INCREDIBLE FORCE, CAUSING INJURY. PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED AND I WAS RUSHED TO FLORIDA HOSPITAL. I WAS TREATED FOR 3 DEEP CUTS TO MY R ARM, ONE OF WHICH REQUIRED 7 STITCHES, ONE CUT ON MY L ARM, ONE CUT ON MY R THIGH, ON MY FACE AND NUMEROUS BRUISES. AT XE30 I WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE HOSPITAL. TO ENSURE THAT AN ACCIDENT OF THIS KIND DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS: THE RAMP/GATE AGENTS NEED BETTER TRAINING SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE DANGER OF SPINNING PROPS. ENGS SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING, IF PAX APCH ACFT WITH UMBRELLAS. PERHAPS THE FO SHOULD NOT BE POSITIONED BTWN THE STAIRWAY AND ENG #1, WHEN ENG #2 IS RUNNING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.