Long story short I was running my DeWalt fixed base router (8000-24000 RPM) on a piece of work when it started making a funny noise.
I lifted the router up to see why it was making the noise, and FWOOOM the router bit launched itself into the air!
I found it on the lawn on the other side of the house, with the stalk all twisted to one side. It landed in soft grass so that damage must have occurred while it was in (or exiting from) the router.
No injuries occurred thankfully, but obviously someone easily could have been hurt. So, what happened? Was it just loose? Is my router card revoked and I should just go back to belt-sanding roundovers? What safety steps could I have missed? Thanks!