Herbs_007

My deepest sympathies to his family.

Herbs

http://www.news.com.au/world-news/man-decapitated-by-remote-controlled-toy-helicopter/story-fndir2ev-1226712962922

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

I came across this story earlier today. This is indeed sad that this has happened. We tend to forget that on planes and helicopters there is a spinning "meat cleaver" that can do some very serious damage to people, or even kill them. I learned that myself a few years back when my hand got tangled up in the prop and I wound up with 30 stitches in my hand. It only took one second of not paying attention (I was starting the plane on the runway and it moved forward and out of habit I reached out with my hand to stop the plane, and got my hand tangled in the prop) to have my hand in the prop and caused some serious damage. I was lucky that it wasn't anything serious like the tendons and was only in the fatty parts of my hand, so the stitches fixed everything up. I don't know what happened here in this accident, but I'm sure the details will come out soon.

My heat and sympathies go out to the family of this young man.

Ken

Kyosho Joe

I ran across this story also on some other non RC forums. Really tragic to say the least. Be careful guys. RC stuff can be very dangerous!

hookedonrc

I did pretty much the same as Ken and took 19 stitches in my hand. Was also lucky. I hate to read stories like this. The last thing on our minds is that we are going out to get injured or even rarely killed. No one can convince me that having a mind on safety while flying is not a big deal.

philakapd

Horrible. I'm sorry for the loss of life.

May God bless him, the family and community.

-Clear skies to you.

skybill

My Feedback: (6)

Saw this posted on a dropzone.com forum. My condolences to his family and friends. We model aircraft fliers tend to think we're in a "Safe" sport! This accident just "Goes to show ya'." Be Careful out there!! Just because "There's never been a Model Aircraft Crash I've been in that I havn't walked away from!" doesn't mean it can't happen. As my old Skydivin' bud Mike Owens says about skydiving,"You are not now nor will you ever be good enough to not die in this sport!" With this posted incident I'm starting to think about the saying being relevant to Model Aircraft flying too.
Blue Skies,
skybill-out AMA-87838
SCR-2034, SCS-680, D-6009 (skydiving)

perreback

What a horrible tragedy! A wake-up call to us all --- once again.

JCOKEEFE

My Feedback: (2)

We ain't flying "toys" as our ever ignorant "media" likes to describe them!

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

A man just lost his life and you guys are worried about somebody calling your helicopter toys...

WOW......

Grow up.

Casey

franktheetank

I don't think he was meaning it that way... these are dangerous machines, nothing less.. I woke up to my dad telling me about what happened and suddenly didn't want anything to do with an open prop.. have faith, god was calling for him.

GerKonig

What a terrible loss for the family. A real shame.

This paragraphbelow does not help the hobby he loved so much...

"Pirozek developed a YouTube channel where he would post footage of various tricks and flights using a Trex 700 model helicopter. In one video, he drops the $1,500 model from above, only to restart the rotor just inches from his head."

P. Richards

My Feedback: (3)

This is definitely sad it will open our eyes and kind of put things in perspective, that all it takes is one instant and life could be over.
My condolences to the Family and Friends of this young man...

P. Richards aka SwatTeam

scottrc

I was flying the other day, doing a nice hover, just a few feet away from me, and it dawned on me that I was putting a hell of a lot of trust in a bunch of nuts, bolts, electrons, and my own skill. If any one thing went wrong and the 35lbs of wood, fiberglass, and aluminum flew into me and I was struck by the prop, well, I don't think it would be pretty.

Today's tragedy just put that thought I had the other day into serious perspective.

Our planes and helicopters are getting bigger, faster, more powerful, and affordable. A few years ago a prop strike from a .40 glow engine meant a trip to the ER for a bunch of stitches and a few months of healing. Not so with a 30cc or 2000W powered aircraft which are getting to be the norm.

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

OMG, terrible tragedy. And he was just a kid.
my condolences to the family. I think AMA needs to do a public statement, they were mentioned in the article.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

Here's a somewhat updated article:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/m...-park-20172775

Sad story and condolences to family and friends of the pilot. I too would like to see the story edited and have "toy" and "teen"removed . Sounds like it was a 13 year old playing with a toy store helicopter,not a young adult operating a hobbygrade radio control model. Using terms like "toy" and "teen" is not accurate reporting but done purely for the shock value and to grab the attention of the low-information types. This "toy" term is a misconception a lot of folks have regarding the hobby. The "toys" we operate ,for the most part, can severely injure, maim , or kill you.
This has the potential to be used as fodder by someone in the activist or political arena wanting to make a name for themselves. Hope it doesn't come to that. It was an accident.
Just think before you go out and check everything before you fly and operate your model safely !

topspin

Those theings scare the hell out of me. We have a couple of guys at the field who are really good 3D heli pilots but when they take the field I move way back.

Tony Iannucelli

My Feedback: (193)

I'll say a prayer for this young guy and hope he is in a better place. May God hold him close.

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

You put a lot of faith in some small bolts and nuts. Cheap-out on the larger ones and I'd say you are taking a gamble. There are a few 3-D'ers at the one field and I too try and put something in between me and it. A friend flies a 450,500,and 600 but only does scale flights and that's all. My goal is to fly mine scale as well. No desire to 3-D. But even then something can fail.
Apparently this pilot may or may not have been doing maneuvers close to him or coming down on top of him and pulling up at the last second. Hope that's not the case of doing something foolish.

keyman

My Feedback: (22)

Prayers sent out to his family.

helicrazedout

My heart goes out to the family! May God welcome him. I know it's not nice to say this, but can you only imagine what they are not showing you it must of been a very graphic and gruesome scene to actually see what this helicopter did.

blhollo2

My Feedback: (278)

1-2 years ago had a great helicopter 3d pilot crash close to the flight line and pieces of helicopter blades and parts flew and hit some people in the pit/observation area...and that prompted the president and owner of the field to push the flight line from 20 yards from the pit to 50yards. After that he was pretty vocal on how dangerous 3d helicopters can be and how he didn't really care for them. Especially when most operators fly the heli's right close to their face. Any r/c platform whether airplane or helicopter can fail and become a lawn dart. I don't mind them at all and like to see them fly, but I'll admit when they are flying when I'm flying I land and watch out!

donone

Horrible. I'm sorry to listen to this news. I met the same thing for two month ago. I was flying and doing a nice hover, then the remote suddenly failed, it hitted a nearby object, and the debris hit my head.
But I don't want to say it is a dangerous. when we prepared flying, we need to check the RC Airplanes carefully.

jcoop65

I learned my lesson the hard way two weeks ago. I was in a hover about 15 or so feet away, and more than likely I had a brain fart. Within a blink of an eye my 500 what right over my head. I ducked only to look up to see it coming down on top of me! I stuck up my elbow reactivly and was struck right above and below my elbow . Two lacerations the worst was to the bone about 3in. Long. It took 20 some stitches to close both the wounds. Wish I would have shared this earlier. Don't think I would have made a difference. I'm so sorry for their loss. I will for now on follow the warnings in the Manuel and keep my aircraft at least 45 feet or more away from anyone.

fred985

dont flater yourself, we are flying toys,,, my real toy was a real 450 stearman ,,,my uncle always said , dont take the fun out of flying but our toys can kill us in a heartbeat!!!!!,,yup, there ,,i calld a grate big full size stearman a TOY, because that is exactly what it was. the soldiers tqught in then durng wwll could call them what they were,,,to us they are TOYs ,but they can kill us.

HOT COALS

Sad this happened wish i i some comfortable words now just lost for words.