A Few Seconds Liveor Die True Story C J Viosca BEFORE BEGIN let make per fectly clear accident fault feel am cautious can know accident can happen anyone us no matter careful have moments carelessness thats get caught modeler know treats model fuel like can water Fel low modelers carrying possible bomb us need made aware particular Tuesday afternoon ready go lake test run two boats wife fixing early supper told would load van ready go day breaking engine can fuel along 12-volt battery starter sitting garage door made new box hold usual junk just painted Since still wet figured would use old ice box using just time picked up can fuel left hand battery right hand starter still hooked up almost put battery down disconnect starter figured would after put ice box bent over set items down sudden funny glow vision disappeared fol lowed terrible explosion fire Well blind fire must tell urge run tremendous run would have fatal stood up told myself panic alone fire better save own life die immediately stopped breathing explosion oc curred knew inhaled fire would kill standing concrete drive knew get grass back yard groped latch gate second thought hit flimsy gate force open couldnt find latch Yes thoughts happened Youd amazed know fast mind does work Well after opening gate dove grass rubbed fire out face eliminate chance inhaling flame held shirt front face filter breathe through next motions roll grass water hydrant about fifteen feet away Iturnedthe water bathed put out fire lucky too modified hydrant shoot water out rather down made much easier get fire out After wife saw came out discovered could see silhouettes told what hap pened went house got fire extinguisher put fire out Charlie Viosca shows AMA President Johnny Clemens metal can touched leads starting battery causing explosion fire can touched leads background Bennett Grayson points nearest water faucet across yard Moral Always careful driveway garage Next wife call eye doctor primary concern eyes rather burns make living ajet pilot eyes necessity Next took bath put some cotton pajamas son David drive fire station got ambulance ride hospital Let go back confirm thing might sound confusing part about flash sound ex plosion Yes burned eyes fore heard sound skin burned off eye balls before chance close eye doctor told came close being blind possible actually being blind About left tell very lucky fellow Both hands face right arm leg knee received second-degree bums along ears eyes doing fine still check 20-20 am home now consider what happened can happen someone else happened different loca tion flying field etc might have lucky what told took place about eight seconds Any longer would have resulted extensive third-degree bums would have meant long hospital stay skin graft ing too long ago may have read about modeler can fuel explode trunk car result everything complete loss including car also know fire men some cities advocating elimina ting fuel plastic jugs Well can say particular accident would have happened fuel plastic reason fuel blew up fact starter battery clips touched can did can got red hot two contact points acted just like glow plug fumes top can ignited blew bot tom out can splashing remainder fuel about /2 gal over Now over relish tbe use electric fuel pumps although used thousands times day fuel pump didnt cause accident feel could source danger use electric pump keep wires good shape careful batteries around metal can plan use plastic jugs fuel hand-crank fuel pump now advocate leaving fuel cans jugs hot cars out very hot direct sun last parting thought credit emergency training pilot keeping calm really saving life Keep calm can help self through perilous situations panic can mean disaster cases Remember. careful 52 Model Aviation