Here's what you could write in your accident report.

To whom it may concern:

I arrived at 8 a.m. and received a work order to paint the inside of the engine of a 747 jumbo jet. I informed the mechanics, flight control, my manager and other maintenance people there that I was going to work in the engine.

I was just finishing painting the top of the engine when I heard a cry from below from one of the maintenance personnel. Before I knew what was happening, I saw the turbines moving slowly, and I realized someone must have started the engine. I jumped off the engine before it could gain full strength and landed on some empty paint containers. I was not seriously hurt in this incident.

Recommendations: To avoid accidents like this in the future, all workers should be informed by the site supervisor if any of the maintenance crew is working in the plane, especially if someone is working in the cockpit area. Then the worker should go into the plane and inform everyone there that they are going to work in the engine. This action might slow the worker down, but the company should allow them to take any actions necessary to ensure their safety.

Tim Braithwaite manages the paint shop for an aviation company. He says you'll need to be able to communicate with your superiors. "You'll always deal with fellow supervisors and coordinators," he says.