BS!!!,

EXPECT people to do the wrong thing. I have been on the flight line so many times and even trained professionals make mistakes.

Bottom line, it is just like getting out of a car. Don't get out unless the engine is shut off. There are way to many, OPPS...I thought....

Lesson for everyone. Take an extra minute to be safe and protect each other.

Yeah, there doesn't need to be a rule but this is just stupidity gone awry. It's exactly the kind of situation Darwin awards are given for. One of those situations where a person is responsible for their own action or inaction - a clear-cut & obvious hazard - and dire consequences for a bad decision. Bill was paid.

She doesn't blame the pilot. The pilot even warned her and physically stopped her from walking that way with his arm. There is no rule or guideline to shut down the engine.

This accident was merely a stupid decision. I don't blame the pilot, I blame the lack of common sense.

I am glad that she is alive though and hope she recovers nicely.

I guess she never saw Raiders of the Lost Ark....

It's pretty common to leave the prop feathering between flights if there's a quick turn (which if passengers are boarding while others are deplaning, there's a quick turn). Even commercial prop planes often feather their props while boarding and deplaning.

It is absolutely absurd to blame the pilot for the woman's lack of basic sense or even survival skills. One needn't be Einstein's sister to know not to walk into a moving airplane propeller.

The is analogous to the woman who disregarded the warning on the McDonald's coffee container.

"Pilots" are held to a higher standard than your average steering wheel holder that is not only willing but anxious to trade a ton of safety for nothing more than the mere perception of "saving" a gram of time.

Enough already. How many times is this story going to show up? I swear I've been reading the headline for 3 weeks. Is this like free publicity for her or what?

Couldn't agree more. If this were an unattractive person, this story would have died a long time ago (probably wouldn't have even made the news).

yeah, that's a pretty dickish statement. There are a hundred different things a person could say about the situation, but taking cheap shots like this is pretty lame.

Googlie,

You came to this blog asking why the story has legs when you're guilty of being one of the toes keeping it in motion. You may not care about this tragic accident, but others do. It's your opinion that Lauren Scruggs is ony semi-attractive, but that is irrelevant to this story. If the article had said something like that, I would agree that it was a sorely misplaced, insensitive comment about the disfigurement of a human being. Sounds more like you have a beef with the fasion industry than this article.

There are a number of people on this thread that don't seem to understand the concept of human curiosity. As a social species we genetically care about what is happening to our fellow humans. Each of us curious for our own reasons. Innocent curiosity, morbid curiosity whatever. Better curiosity than apathy.

So Googlie, if you're struggling to understand why anyone should care, perhaps some introspection might be in order. You did afterall take the time to read & comment on the article.

As unfortunate as this event was, it does remind me of those hikers that fell from the top of the falls at Yosemite Park. They disregarded the "danger" sign, and the metal pipe fence that was located between the path, and the rocks approaching the falls, and yet...went under the fence, and lost their footing on the wet rocks, and all fell to their death. Point being....... there were plenty of cues that should have said...."don't venture forward", and all were ignored for one reason, or another. There were cries that the Park should have made better effort to prevent, but in the end........we all should take responsibility for our own actions.

I suppose that the pilot [I've piloted my own aircraft] should have shut the engine down, but one always "assumes" [dangerous word] that our own survival skills with kick it, and tell us that this is a dangerous path to take......and make a prudent decision.

Doesn't always pan out that way!

Well, there goes fashion for her I guess, huh...now she'll have to actually get an education. Damn, and here she thought she was going to get through life based on her looks alone. Woops.

The question is: can this young lady still perform...or will she have to get a boring job where people actually work. How many people working in an office do you know who can rent a plane to look at Christmas lights? The people who work the least in this country make the better money. Why do you think when Amer Idol comes to town, the whole town practically shuts down - all these young people (mostly females) DO NOT WANT TO WORK. UNEMPLOYMENT? NO. THESE KIDS DON'T WANT TO WORK. THEY WANT EASY MONEY FOR DOING NOTHING (like smiling for a camera) How lame is this society, that we encourage this behavior (mostly females). Young females today - so many of them are clueless and THEY DO NOT WANT TO WORK

I'm not certain I can with even 'semi-attractive'. Well, maybe to someone who's into the whole zombie / vampire thing.

I will preface this with my dislike of pop culture. I'm not bitter or jealous I am just amazed that pop culture gets more attention in this country than any other topic. Education, safety, politics etc.....who cares. What are the Kardashians doing this week? Joban appears to be in the same line of thinking.

I have to agree with a lot of the negative comments. Stop setting this up as a sue the pilot situation. I have never flown in a prop plane but I would think that any normal human being would know they are getting too close to the propeller and that they shouldn't have headed in that direction in the first place. Has anyone mentioned whether or not she was wearing a headset or maybe ear-buds? Just hard to believe she couldn't sense a giant fan that close to her skull. It's almost strange how quickly she is letting the pilot off the hook maybe because she doesn't want anyone to know that she did do something that stupid. They say that accidents due to wearing some sort of headset has quadrupled in the past several years.

Now for those of you that are giving Googlie hell, take a look at the big picture and find the truth in the comment. When you or I have a tragedy in our lives we tend to keep it private. Who is the most recent woman that was reported to have breast cancer, some reporter I believe and I am also proud that I don't remember her name. The point is, what makes her special compared to a few million other people with the same diagnosis? People without the resources to get a good doctor to treat them. Her story is meaningless to the average person. Do we really need to have a celebrity bring light to this or can we just go and interview a few hundred other women in the area who can proclaim their struggles because the best doctors won't get publicity from their case. 26 years ago when my brother was dying from leukemia at age 20, where was all his national attention? I guess if you are just a kid from a blue color neighborhood nobody cares.

Face facts, beautiful women don't even need brains and can ride down easy street on their looks alone. She was a model and now blogs about modeling. Wonder if she ever had a real job. Something that calls for more on the resume than blond, blue eyes, great smile and sexy body. She was born with the job, she didn't work for it. I'm sure she will change her tune about the pilot being at fault once her income level drops and she is forced to----gasp---get a real job. "If he shut down the engine my dumbass would have had noting to walk into". Of course it's his fault. Besides, I can't get a man to look twice at me anymore. BTW, did I miss something about her where she cured some despicable disease, saved a family from a burning building, stopped global warming..............I just want to make sure I'm not jumping the gun here.

In short, has this type of accident ever happened before in the history of aviation? I doubt she is the first person to walk into a moving prop but she is much more important and newsworthy than Billy Bob Joe, the crop-dusters son.

I like the word meaningless when associated with Kardashians and the likes.

Great post Browns Backer.

I have to agree with you. Ms. Scruggs put herself up as a Darwin Award contender when she walked right into a moving propeller. That's just boggling.

I wondered the same thing. She had to be doing something else and not paying attention. I am sorry she had to learn that lesson the hard way. The pilot isn't to blame but he should still turn off his engine when loading and unloading passengers. That is just a safety precaution, even helicopter pilots do that.

It's amazing how you pick and choose to whom which "will" belongs.

Agreed. Wholeheartedly. I have been noticing over the years how the younger and younger females today have no sense of accountability. They are extremely preoccupied with all the ridiculous crap in their lives. They act this way while they are driving, too. Like it's someone else's responsibility to look out for them on the road. Like someone else is responsible for their accountability. They have none, themselves. I get the impression that young girls today think the real world is filled with 'their daddies', like we are all going to deal with them like their 'daddies' did (or still do). Bottom line: absolutely no sense of accountability in young women today. None.

Careful Joban..while this particualr story is about a woman, younger men today aren't much better.

B.Boy

Yes, I agree with you. How stupid do you have to be to run into a prop that is obviously turning??? Hard to believe that this woman did not react to the prop and engine noise and the well placed warning.

Ah well, she won't do this again.

I have flown alot in private planes and spinning props are not easily visible. I almost walked into one while helping to tie down our plane in a strong windstorm because we had to keep the engine running to keep the plane on the ground.

I stopped within inches and it was worst feeling ever to think what could've happened. It is not stupidity on her part nor is it the pilot's fault. It was an accident. Simple as that.

Jeff, I admire your honesty and sharing what you have leaned from this. While it might not be a rule, taking extra precautions (above and beyond the call of duty) can save someone else from injury or death in the case of a mistake. :)

Jeff, see Part 91.3 (a)

There is your rule, cap'n.

Wouldn't the engine noise alone be enough to warn you?

Prop blast is enough to warn you.

I must say I agree. I was on a tour boat once... the captain annouced over the loud speaker that the water was snow melt and was 35 degrees (even though it was warm outside), there was a chest high metal guard rail with frequently posted signs saying "Do Not Leave the Boat". None the less, someone climbed over the guide rail and tried to swim to shore. He drowned. Then his family filed a huge lawsuit against the boat company.

There comes a point when each of us is responsible for themselves. I'm sorry this woman had to pay so dearly for her mistake and I hope she has as easy of a recovery as possible.

Don't walk behind a horse, don't walk in front of a plane, don't stick your arm in a tiger pen. Common sense rules for survival.

Ditto.

Yeah, that is funny (NOT).

Oh Bob, don't get your undies in a tiz...it definitely made me laugh.

I go boating to tow my nieces and nephews on various rafts/ski/surf boards. When we get close to picking them up after they have fallen off or their time has expired I always shut off the engine even though the propeller isn't spinning. When everyone is on the boat and the next person to be towed is pushed off far enough and the rope is clear of the propeller I start the engine. Saftey comes first.

As far as I can find (so far) she has never been signed (contracted) with any reputable modeling agency. If anyone finds differently, please post.

The press likes embellish stories for the human component.

she was most likely a local model at best and her blog was like the "tourist" and never seen until this event.

what ever it takes to bring us together for the common good of mankind--

What does your comments have to do with the issue, michael1010? Personally, I feel your views are shallow, at best. Were you to display your own photos...... perhaps many of us might think that you're a rather girly-looking guy, yes?

Get the point????? Put yourself in her shoes, if you dare.... and see if you could handle it as well as she!!

Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!

She IS manly looking, duuug.

What does your comments have to do with the issue, michael1010?

duuug - michael's comments are completely in line with the issue given the fact that every article that has been published about this incident has made a point of emphasizing that she is a model, as though that makes it even more tragic. The media are under the impression that being a "model" or "celebrity" makes someone a little more special than the rest of us. If she had been a man or older woman, this article never would have been published. The media decided that they could grab a few viewers/readers by adding "model" to the headline. Also, there is no reason to disparage michael's good looks or lack thereof because he didn't claim to be a model or compare himself to anyone.

As for michael putting himself in her shoes, I would be willing to bet that he and everyone else who has posted would have the good sense to walk a wide path around the plane if only due to the noise from the engine. It's instinctive to walk away from loud noises for the sake of survival. I would never wish this kind of accident on anyone, but what would possess a person to walk so closely to the plane when it had to be making a deafening noise?

So I guess you've never used a blender or food processor?

stinkfinger

That is why things cost so much....extra steps...This was mother nature thinning the herd...

Now THAT made me laugh!!!

Nice...sad but true

You can bet there are Lawyers masturbating over this. If there is money to be made, they will find it. Anything and everything on that flight line will be sued if they can get away with it. I fell terrible for the girl, but, in the end she is the one who walked into the prop.

haha, 'prevent stupid'. I think we need a national campaign for personal responsibility, ala Smokey the Bear; "Only YOU can prevent stupid."

Absolutely correct. I cannot believe the people on here who claim to be pilots that do not see the negligence of the pilot.

I am a pilot - but no great shakes: inactive for years with a total of only 250 hours, but even I saw from the beginning that the pilots failed to ensure the safety of his passengers around his airplane.

I agree...we should hire more people to stand around all day and make sure this doesn't happen again...maybe shut the plane down and start it up again after people are clear of the area....maybe we should have a crew come out and put up barricades so this doesn't happen again....you wonder why stuff cost so much

um, maybe the pilot could just make an announcement when people get off the plane to stay away from the propeller? seems simple enough. yes, he said it to her, but it looks like she didn't hear him. and you'd think it would be common sense, but I've only been on a plane once, so I wouldn't know. as other people have said, maybe she was wearing earbuds or texting, in which case yes that was pretty irresponsible. someone was bitching about 'young women today have no responsibility' well it's not women, it's young people period. guys seem to be more irresponsible to me, they're more caught up trying to look cool (but really looking stupid) in their skinny jeans, "vintage" sweatshirts, beanies, and they gotta have their headphones so they can listen to gangsta rap everywhere they go. I've seen guys wearing headphones while biking. and it's aggravating to constantly be walking around people who are texting and not paying any attention to what's around them. you kind of wish they would walk into a pole, but no one deserves what happened to this woman.

Stupid or not, it's pretty well known that walking into the spinning thing at the front of an airplane is hazardous to your health. I mean c'mon, we all saw Indiana Jones and what happened to the bad guy who tried it!

No wonder she was so lackadaisical about watching out for herself. The passive "it's God's will" approach can be very dangerous.