TOM WALKER wrote in a message to CHARLES ANGELICH:

CA>OUCH!

TW> Tell me about it. One time also I had some skin removed form my
TW> knuckle by the Alternator fan. That was a major OUCH also. :-)

CA>I was talking with a friend standing next to his pickup truck
CA>when one fan blade flew off (at idle). It pierced the hood so
CA>fast that the hole just appeared there like 'magic'. The blade
CA>fell to earth we know not where. Since that time I do not stand
CA>inline with a running fan and try to not work on an engine
CA>while it is running if I can avoid it.

TW> I also always tried to not stand i nline with the fan blades. I
TW> used ot maintain the came caution when flying in prop planes and
TW> NEVER took a seat alongside the engine. The same wisdon is well
TW> taken even i nJet planes. Avoide seats alongside the engine.
TW> But on the radiator fan I lost a blade on a 1963 Pontiac Tempist
TW> one time also. Fortunatly it came off while I was driving. It
TW> fairly well destroyed the battery.

Would've been really nasty if it had gone right out through the fender
while you were in traffic,  and done somebody else in...

I'm surprised they allowed that kind of liability to continue.

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