woko said..
That's correct engines like the Detroit 2strokes were prone when worn, big Loud motors being pushed to the limit. If you were to flog a worn out little old yacht motor it might take off. It's good to have a plan be to shut a engine down for various reasons, something like a ping pong bat to hold over the air intake, don't use the like of a towel it will get sucked in and still let air pass, talking from 1st hand experience
A story I was told when being taught to rev tune GM for balancing the injectors that a mechanic had died after a two stroke GM ran away on the test bench. He bent over to get the block of wood to choke it and his stomach or chest got too close and the blower had enough force to drag his insides into the engine before it stopped.
May have been a story to frighten the Apprentices, but it left a last impression on me.