In my lifetime I’ve been near a couple of prop-strike incidents. Both individuals died almost instantly. That is a lot of force, and even though a prop blade isn’t really sharp, it will definitely cut you in half.
Back in the 1980s, there was a maintenance hangar on my home airport with a steel door that was all banged up. It would still close and lock but it looked like a dinosaur had had its way with it. One day I finally asked one of the mechanics who worked there if they were ever going to get the door fixed. He replied that the boss specifically said they would never get it fixed. A careless mechanic had a hot prop and had barely escaped serious injury or death thanks to that door. The door served as a reminder of how dangerous a prop can be.
This iconic image has been around for a long time, too…
Fulton County Airport (FTY) used to have some nice thick gouges in the concrete where a taildragger tipped forward and chewed up the taxiway. They’ve probably fixed it by now.
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