Thank you Al for the update. Unfortunately there are always those that try
to draw analogies to other events or experiences when in fact this was
simply a tragic accident. All of us that knew Paul knew him as a top notch
operator and contester. We should remember him for all that he contributed
to the hobby and how he made our lives better as a result of knowing him.
Our deepest condolences to his family at this time.
Steve, WD8NPL
-----Original Message-----
From: Allan W Schlaugat
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2018 6:05 PM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Details on W0AIH Tower Accident
Here is a message from Paul Husby W0UC, W0AIH's son-in-law. This gives
great detail on the accident. Needless to say after reading many of the
comments on this reflector, this message will upset many of you. Please be
respectful. Thanks! Al N9ISN (one of the ops at W0AIH)
---------------snip---------------------
Paul was working on the 15M tower, the 4/4/4/4 this afternoon. His
apparent plan was to straighten a bent element and check on a rotor or
two that were having problems. (This 15M tower is 200' tall, with
separate Ham-M's at each antenna starting at 50'.)
I don't know that Paul had been working on this tower recently, but he
apparently had a line to the top and a pulley up there. His usual
practice would be to keep a 1/4" poly rope up to the top and back if he
was going to work on a tower intermittently. Then, when ready to work
on it, he would use that small rope to pull his good rope up and back
down, which is what he did today. For a couple decades Paul has liked
to "ride the rope" up and down, climbing the tower only when necessary,
or when a winch operator wasn't available. Today a friend was running
the winch, not Mary. Paul had done some work probably at the 50' level
and was at about 60' when the winch operator said the line went slack.
The pulley had become disconnected from the top of the tower.
As I said, I don't think Paul had been on this tower recently, and he
didn't remember that this pulley was not properly attached for work.
Normally, a web "choker" would go through the ring on the top of the
pulley, around a tower leg a couple times, and then its ends joined with
a heavy shackle. Today, only a nylon rope held the pulley, and it
broke. KB9S said it looked weathered. It had probably been up there
quite a while, and Paul's memory hasn't been what it used to be. He was
not up to the top of the tower today at all, only working near the
bottom antenna.
It sounds like the kind of small rope he might use on his belt to
initially carry the pully and line up to the top of the tower. Why he
left it there without a proper choker will be a mystery. I'm guessing
it was many months ago, planning to do this work, but something took him
away and he never got back to it until now. I am sorry that the winch
operator had to see it, but glad that it was nothing within his control.
I stopped by the Farm Monday on my way home from Chicago. We talked
about CQWW Phone, and Paul said he operated more phone this time than
ever before. He was most excited that he worked a TF friend just before
the end on 160M. That really made a great end to the weekend. He did
tell me, "maybe next year will be the last year for the multiop. It's
just getting to be too much work to get ready." That surprised me, as he
has said that he thought he had another 10 years left in him. It's a
shame it got cut short.
No word on arrangements. My wife, Paul's youngest daughter, just
arrived in 5H-land yesterday, and I am still waiting to get through to
her. I'll let you know.
73
Paul W0UC
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