Bob Pham

Man killed by model helicopter
07:01 AM CST on Monday, November 3, 2003


By Jeremy Desel / 11 News


HOUSTON -- A bizarre accident with a model helicopter killed a Houston man Sunday afternoon.


The victim was watching the radio-controlled aircraft at Tom Bass Park in southwest Harris County.




KHOU-TV
The helicopter that killed the victim is fuel-powered and radio-controlled.
"They can get up to some pretty high speeds," said Sgt. Hudson with the Harris County Sheriff's Department.


Traffic was grounded after the accident as sheriff's investigators tried to figure out what happened to cause the death of 41-year-old Ronald Kyle of southwest Houston.


"He was going through some flight maneuvers with the helicopter and he turned the controls over to the student and the helicopter got away from him," said Hudson.


Kyle was an instructor.


The student, who police did not identify, owns the model involved in the incident.




KHOU-TV
Some children were reportedly in the park when the accident happened and may have seen it.
Its 2-inch wide blades are made of fiberglass, but the engine spins with enough power to make them dangerous -- especially if the craft gets out of control -- which appeared to be the case Sunday.


"Came back toward the two individuals and the helicopter struck the deseased in the throat area," said Hudson.


The impact of the crash killed Kyle almost immediately.


Investigators say the man operating the helicopter had been in one of this areas ten chapters of the Academy of Model Aeronautics for about nine months. That organization has more than 170,000 members nationwide.


We are told the student was working toward a flight certification -- but had yet to complete it.


There are designated areas for flying and for watching at the park. Both men were in the operations area at the time.

Mike Bogh

My Feedback: (14)

Whew, I have been afraid that something like that was going to happen eventually with a heli...
My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the deceased man....and the poor guy flying the heli, too.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Man, that is bad. Should post a link in the heli section for all the guys who think they don't need help. Those things are dangerous.

Not a good thing.

goliath-RCU

My Feedback: (8)

Was he using a Buddy Box?

scottrc

My sympathies to the family and club.

I do have a couple of questions that maybe should be posted in the heli section. But this thread started my curiosity.

Do the blades stop when they come into contract with an object, or is there constant force applied like in an airplane engine?

Can a buddy cord be used to train on helis?

J_R

http://runryder.com/helicopter/t70830p1/

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

This is awful. My sympathies for his family.

scottrc, I've seen a few heli's crash, and the blades seem to keep whipping the ground for a little while....I think that at a low throttle setting, the clutch kicks in and the blades just spin freely.

I do know for sure that buddy cords can be used on helis just like planes.

MeltedPixel

Thats terrible =(
Cant imagine what the pilot feels like, as I would not be able to live with myself if I knew I killed somone un-itentionaly.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

If the engine is running full, the blades are powered and want to spin.

Some use buddy box on heli training, some don't. I find it is easier to train without one on a heli, although I am wondering if I should rethink that. The bb cord does't really help on a heli the way I train and I have never lost one with my methods. It works well, but the instructor doesn't have the control should the student hit the power and freeze.

He should not have it neck high if he can't control it the way I teach it, but everyone is different.

scottrc

Thanks Flyboy for the reply. I think no matter what you do, you can never make it 100% safe.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Scott, the buddy system works very well for helos; especially the ones (Futaba 9Z, some earlier JRs, like the X388S) that allow the slave box only one or two functions. As Dave alluded to, the real advantage of the buddy cord system is to avert a disaster if the student locks up. I can't tell you how many trainers I've seen trashed through playing "pass the transmitter"...

From what I gathered in the threads on this catastrophe, the student pilot wasn't a total newbie. For sure, Ron was confident enough in the student's ability, once handed the transmitter, to turn his back and walk away.

No one is sure exactly what the problem with the ship was right now, AFAIK. There were numerous witnesses, and several competent heli guys present, so perhaps the cause will be determined.

What a bummer...[]

Bob Pham

I fly at Tom Bass now and then on Sunday. I know an exceptionally friendly individual, a heli and plane flyer, named Ron (experienced flyer who would help just about anyone asking for any kind of help). I do not know his last name or phone number. I hope this was not the Ron I know. I have no way of contacting any flyer at Tom Bass since I do not fly there much. All I know was I got so sick when this came on the 10PM news on channel 11 (www.khou.com) last night. I went to bed feeling so sick and ashamed of model airplanes in general.

On Sunday morning till about late noon, I would be either the only one or two flyers flying airplanes at Tom Bass. The rest is easily ten or more heli flyers. I personally have seen helis flown recklessly at Tom Bass. Being a public park, no one has a real voice there. The local police comes out now and then to check on the activity and AMA cards, etc.

Anyone in the Houston area with info about Ronald Kyle, the victim? I prayed last night for the victim whoever it was.

YNOT

I was called soon after it happened, I know Ron.

This is what I was told:

Instrutor and New Pilot flying an old Heli Boy or something like that who recently purchased several older helis. This was the one that flew.

Instructor worked on the chopper, landed, handed transmitter to Pilot. Instrutor looked away, pilot lost control and yelled "DUCK". Pilot ducks, instructor however did not have time. Cut the instructor, Ron, across the neck. He did not see it comming is what I was told.

One of the pilots wives, an RN, was there and they instantly started CPR. EMS took close to 20 minutes to respond, however according to what I was told, he was gone almost, that quick.

I asked if the heli was alreay in a hover or just taking off, however I am getting some cross info. Either way, the heli was not in the air for very long before it happened.

I fly at the field on a regular basis and know many of the pilots. It is a public field and the primary heli field in the Houston area. You want to fly helis, you go to Tom Bass. I have never seen saftey being a problem there.

Ron was single and had no children. He had his toys.

He was doing what he loved, he was at the flying field.

Bob Pham

YNOT,

Please email me whatever info/contact/phone number you have on Ron ([email protected]). I would like to attend Ron's funeral and pay my respect even if I did not know him.

The Ron I know drives a white pickup truck. He had a new, ready to fly Hanger 9 P-51 for sale not to long ago. He told me he won the plane in some drawing at a hobby shop in SW Houston.

Thank you.

3d-aholic

My Feedback: (7)

Was he using a Buddy Box?
___
Sure didn't sound like from that story.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ap/tx/2198941

Here is a link to an artical. said he was 41.

Jim C.

uhh no... re read the posts.
what do you mean by wrecklessly?? were they just doing 3d?? or were they just being flat out stupid... like the jackasses in that one video where they catch the heli??? helis are flown in a diffrent manner than planes... so what is stupid to the plank flyer, would be normal for a heli driver.

Ptarmigan

Very sad indeed. My condolences goes out to the instructor and his family. [][][][]

Combat Addict

I feel for everyone invovled with helis, and his family. Imagine how the student felt. People need to realize the power of these things as they are becoming popular.

Please check out my Thread at [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1250334/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#1250334]AMA Heli Rules[/link]

Lonewolf9757

My Feedback: (5)

My prayers go out to his family and friends. If there is any light that can be shown on this tragic event, I pray that it gives some comfort that he was doing what he loved...

I believe the true measure of a man lyes not in his welth, or what he can hang on a wall… I believe the true measue of a man lyes in his heart. A man that is willing to help out another, in any situation, is the type of person we all should try to be.

God Speed Ron

jettstarblue

This points up what I tell people all the time-

"Tomorrow may be your day, or, your best day, live like you mean it."

Condolences to his friends, and family.

Not a sad day for the hobby, or heli people, just a sad day. Accidents happen all the time in every facet of life, especially sports, and hobbies, it's part of it. Seems the more fun something is, the more "dangerous" it is.
Everyone- take a little time to tell those you love that you love them. Don't stop living, just take care in what you do.

Jetts

Bob Pham

GraupnerFan,

Here is what I meant by helis flown recklessly. There is an asphalt runway at Tom Bass for airplanes. There are a few heli pilots who regularly use the runway and fly their helis in the same manner as one would a fixed wing, i.e., high speed passes not 3D, over the runway. While that happened, I just simply waited for my turn (I fly fixed wings only).

I was out there one Sunday with another fixed wing pilot. We both watched two heli pilots taking turn using the runway. Neither of us could put in any flight. Another heli pilot was flying his heli making high speed passes over the pit area on the west side of the runway, flying only several feet away. There were a couple of kids in the pit area. A heated argument ensued at the end of the flight between the fixed wing pilot and the heli pilot. The concesus was the heli flyer put the kids and other people in real danger with his flying style. The heli pilot's point was he was doing pattern (like a pattern plane, maybe?). Both pilots got visibly upset and started packing their stuff up and left. It could have turned into a fist fight in my opinion.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

It doesn't matter how you look at it, if he was flying close to people or the pitts, he was in the wrong. Who ever discussed it with him was right, and if he didn't like it, he shouldn't be flying.

I have always thought that guys flying helicopters were more safety minded, but there are some that are not. You have to respect that big disc when you are flying it. With glass blades, they are dangerous.

Too bad you have to deal with someone like that.

Just so you know, we are not all like that. I don't fly my heli if someone is in the air with a fixed wing. Its just common courtesy to let them finish. If they want to come up and fly with me hen I have it up, that is fine, but then it is their choice and I don't hover in their way. I fly it like a plane in the pattern just as they do and when I land, I get off the runway as quickly as they would.

runover1

My Feedback: (10)

Our condolences go out to your club and his family. I really feel for the student, he has to live with it. I don't think he'll ever fly again. The only good that could come out of this is a better safety awarness and respect for these deadly machines. I love flying, but if you don't respect the prop it will bite.

runover1

My Feedback: (10)

One thing that the RN, that was on site, said is it took too long for EMS to respond, and They could not find the field.

It would be very important for all of us to communicate with our local 911 dispatchers to make sure that they know exactly where our clubs are located. Accidents are rare, but like here are serious, and a quick response can change everything. I am almost sure that one person at every field has a GPS reciever that can locate an exact GPS coordinate. If we all work together to let EMS know where we are and the possible seriousness of injuries, then we should have a step in the right direction accomplished.[&o]