Incident
On 1 March 1980, a flight instructor and his student were conducting a training flight in a Piper J3C, registration HB-OSM, at Lausanne-La Blécherette airport. The flight was intended for practicing spirals. The instructor occupied the front seat, the student the rear. The instructor directed the student to taxi via the concrete taxiway to the beginning of runway 01 and stop. Upon reaching the runway threshold, they observed fog. Doubtful about the ability to perform spirals under the conditions, the instructor ordered the student to turn back and return to the hangar.
The student complied, using the same taxiway, then turned right toward the hangar. Suddenly, the instructor applied the brakes and set the throttle to idle. He instructed the student to wait with the engine running. The instructor exited from the front seat and moved forward and right, toward the hangar, where he had spotted another instructor returning from a flight. He intended to ask about visibility on the circuit. In his haste, after leaving the cockpit, he came into contact with the propeller, which was rotating at approximately 600 rpm. He was thrown to the ground but did not lose consciousness and told the student to seek help. The instructor was immediately evacuated to the University of Lausanne clinic by a Swiss Air Rescue helicopter stationed at the airfield.
Background
The instructor, born in 1934, held a professional pilot license and a flight instructor permit. He had accumulated 1,195 total flight hours, including 450 hours on the Piper J3C type, with 4 hours in the last 90 days and 2 hours 30 minutes on type during that period. The student was advanced, having started training in October 1978, with 21 hours 44 minutes total flight time and numerous solo flights. At the time of the accident, visibility was 1 to 3 km with clear sky but patches of fog over the airfield.
Injuries and Damage
The instructor sustained injuries to one ear, the left side of the chest, and lungs, along with three broken ribs. The student was uninjured. The aircraft sustained no damage.
Cause
The accident was due to inattention on the part of the instructor.