Have you ever considered what might happen if you forgot to remove your aircraft tow bar from the nose strut of your aircraft, then started your engine? Depending on the aircraft and the weight of the tow bar, and whether it is made of aluminum or steel, you might even taxi, takeoff and fly to your destination without it ever hitting the propeller. But a slight bump on landing, for instance, will likely bounce the tow bar upward and into the propeller.
If the tow bar is aluminum, the propeller might slice right through it and damage to the propeller could be minimal. A tow bar made of steel will likely damage the propeller and could also damage the engine, and experience catastrophic failure.
Avoid this from ever happening by never letting your hands off the tow bar during your preflight inspection. That way, you will always remove the tow bar prior to yelling “clear prop” from the cockpit and starting the engine.
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