RC Helicopter fatality...this really bothers me

[segreto]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled-copter-fatally-strikes-pilot-at-park.html?_r=0

 

 

I saw this article as a blurb on a Maker board I go to, but when I read the article and read "sliced his head off", it really started to sink in how dangerous some of these 'toys' can be.  I had recently taken my 2 year old to see a model airplane display near our house.  I made sure he stay far away from the pilots and the planes, but I never thought that he could have been killed by an errant model.

 

 

 

 

 

[MartinP]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/nyregion/remote-controlled-copter-fatally-strikes-pilot-at-park.html?_r=0

 

 

I saw this article as a blurb on a Maker board I go to, but when I read the article and read "sliced his head off", it really started to sink in how dangerous some of these 'toys' can be.  I had recently taken my 2 year old to see a model airplane display near our house.  I made sure he stay far away from the pilots and the planes, but I never thought that he could have been killed by an errant model.

Such a sad story. I can believe that he got killed by a model helicopter. I cut my finger when I accidentally stuck my finger into the blades of a toy helicopter. Anything moving at a high enough speed can kill you.

[exciter1]

They are very dangerous and the RPMs on model propellers and helicopter blades turn at very high rates of speed.  They are very dangerous and flammable, since some use up to 20% Nitro mixture for fuel.  They are fun too, but you have to be very careful.

[Guest eightbrick]

Wow, that is strange (and sad, of course). I would have never imagined that a guy could kill himself of all people with a RC chopper. A bizarre and tragic way to go.

[sadowsk1]

Well, I didn't read the article.  Reading the topic was pretty much enough.  That's really a shame.

[DMoCTTA]

I am now very scared of RC Helicopters...not kidding.

 

That was tragic..

[justafrog]

Very sad. Not to minimize the tragedy, but many sports and hobbies bring their dangers of serious injury or death. What I would be most concerned about in this case, as in all hobby/sport cases like this, is the protection of uninformed spectators -- either prevent them from getting near the event, or try to take every reasonable precaution that the event is contained away from where they could get hurt through their own ignorance (i.e, zoos, rodeos, race car tracks, etc.)

 

The protection of the participants in the sport should probably remain within the sport itself, and hopefully some of these clubs and such will take this seriously and start looking at protective gear and whatnot for the "pilots".

 

Our dangerous hobby of choice is target shooting with pistols - always a danger, but we mitigate it with best practices on safety equipment and safe handling.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Whats more scary about this is the fact that they are making them now with cameras and such long ranges that people will sit at their house and fly them around the city. I don't know that its allowed but it happens - in my town quite a bit as there are a lot of air enthusiasts down here (Huntsville - live right next to the area where they film rocket City Rednecks). Knowing someone could just fly one of these things right out of range and it hit someone is pretty troubling.

[mattspicks]

The type of RC copter that killed this guy is not the kind you can walk into a target or a wal-mart and buy, this was a very specialized expensive unit with real steel blades.  Unfortunately, if you look at some of his videos he had uploaded in the past on youtube you can see he's been flying these things very dangerously for quite awhile and it was only a matter of time before something bad happened (he was having it land on a table 2 feet in front of him while sitting in a chair directly at blade level)

[shudameister]

Not to diminish the story, but it wasn't a proper decapitation. Just took some off the top. Going outside can kill you, eating foods can kill you, anything can kill you. Sadly people abuse their body's and take many things for granted and I have witness this one too many times. If people are safe with toys or sports or anything things become less harmful. But it doesn't mean it is 100% safe. I am not a parent but I know becoming a parent the world becomes at least 10x scarier because you are also responsible for a little person. But I don't think stories like this should stop people from leaving the house and experiencing life.

[segreto]

Here's one of his videos.  It is quite beautiful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhRy_UXF98g

 

I imagine this is the type of flying that got him killed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frc0bY7UFNM

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

Not to diminish the story, but it wasn't a proper decapitation. Just took some off the top. Going outside can kill you, eating foods can kill you, anything can kill you. Sadly people abuse their body's and take many things for granted and I have witness this one too many times. If people are safe with toys or sports or anything things become less harmful. But it doesn't mean it is 100% safe. I am not a parent but I know becoming a parent the world becomes at least 10x scarier because you are also responsible for a little person. But I don't think stories like this should stop people from leaving the house and experiencing life.

 

I don't think he would really care it wasn't a proper decapitation - it still killed him.

 

While I agree with your point and don't think they should be outlawed or anything, there is a difference between food and anything killing you and something that is remote controlled with giant blades on it controlled by someone without any type of license or permit.

[justafrog]

I don't think he would really care it wasn't a proper decapitation - it still killed him.

 

While I agree with your point and don't think they should be outlawed or anything, there is a difference between food and anything killing you and something that is remote controlled with giant blades on it controlled by someone without any type of license or permit.

 

Agreed - there's also a difference, in my mind anyway, between necessities of life and not - food and air, we gotta have. Some yahoo flying a whirling steel blade down my block for fun, I have more problem with.

 

When we're talking sports and hobbies, there's a reason that most sane citizens are against street racing and fine with the Indy 500.

 

(I know almost nothing about these machines, though, so the big-money and more dangerous ones may not be the kind that get sent on long remote flights over neighborhoods.)

[shudameister]

Do you need a permit to ride a bike or scooter down the block for fun? Many head injuries, blunt force trauma injuries, and casualties have come from this.

 

Do people need to eat fast food for breakfast lunch and dinner? Food is a necessity that we must have to survive. But those will just clog your arteries. There are other foods that people can get and can also be affordable. And won't kill you as fast. Or cause diabetes which is another expensive long term health issue.

 

Although I do agree with the point of regulation, I don't think it is feasible. Humans are stubborn. You can tell them what is safe and what is not safe but will they listen?

Back to personal health, how many times have we been told to eat health, don't smoke, and drink in moderation (1-2 drinks daily). But how many people actually follow these guidelines every single day, every single year? On the box of the RC there was most likely a warning's and guidelines because every single thing you purchase these days have warnings.

[Guest idunno101]

I imagine this is the type of flying that got him killed:  

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[justafrog]

Do you need a permit to ride a bike or scooter down the block for fun? Many head injuries, blunt force trauma injuries, and casualties have come from this.

 

Do people need to eat fast food for breakfast lunch and dinner? Food is a necessity that we must have to survive. But those will just clog your arteries. There are other foods that people can get and can also be affordable. And won't kill you as fast. Or cause diabetes which is another expensive long term health issue.

 

Although I do agree with the point of regulation, I don't think it is feasible. Humans are stubborn. You can tell them what is safe and what is not safe but will they listen?

Back to personal health, how many times have we been told to eat health, don't smoke, and drink in moderation (1-2 drinks daily). But how many people actually follow these guidelines every single day, every single year? On the box of the RC there was most likely a warning's and guidelines because every single thing you purchase these days have warnings.

 

I don't think DoNot was talking about telling people they can't fly dangerous RC helicopters if they want to, and I certainly was not.

 

What I'm talking about is the potential risk of a person engaging in these activities where others who are not willing participants may be injured or killed.

 

Yes, this man accidentally killed himself. Many others do the same on bikes, skateboards, with their own sport firearms, etc. etc. I was voicing a concern about whether these larger, more dangerous remotes are the type that enthusiasts like to strap up with cameras and fly around their neighborhoods. I don't know, but I would like to know and I would like them to knock it off if they're doing it.

 

Take my own hobby - there is a difference between my choice to go a safe, controlled range with my Glock 9mm and, following the safety rules engage in some target shooting, knowing that an accident could occur to cause me injury or death, versus me taking my Glock and sitting in the backyard plinking soda cans off the fence with complete disregard for my neighbors' safety or comfort.

[shudameister]

I don't think DoNot was talking about telling people they can't fly dangerous RC helicopters if they want to, and I certainly was not.

 

What I'm talking about is the potential risk of a person engaging in these activities where others who are not willing participants may be injured or killed.

 

 

 

I know. Just like The Great Prohibition; if people want to, they will.

 

There is a potential risk of everything. But it also takes two. If I saw someone flying it around like that I would leave the area. Or if I was doing something crazy and probably something I shouldn't be doing and I see people come within the area I would stop. I bet there was warnings on the product and accidents happen. It must be very hard for the family and friends.

[segreto]

Just watching that helicopter fly around like that makes me scared. If that thing hits a strong gust of wind then it could change directions, like towards him, and become uncontrollable (not that it was very controlled in the first place). 

There should be a pretty good distance between him and that machine if he was going to do those tricks so that if something did go wrong then he would have time to correct the heli or get out of the way.

 

I had no idea they could even fly a helicopter like that.  22 years ago, I watched someone trying to fly one of the first retail  rc helicopters at an airfield I was taking my plane to.  He managed to get it off the ground, but could not sustain any level flight with the thing.  If I was around anything like what was in that video, I would have run for cover.  

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I don't think DoNot was talking about telling people they can't fly dangerous RC helicopters if they want to, and I certainly was not.

 

What I'm talking about is the potential risk of a person engaging in these activities where others who are not willing participants may be injured or killed.

 

Yes, this man accidentally killed himself. Many others do the same on bikes, skateboards, with their own sport firearms, etc. etc. I was voicing a concern about whether these larger, more dangerous remotes are the type that enthusiasts like to strap up with cameras and fly around their neighborhoods. I don't know, but I would like to know and I would like them to knock it off if they're doing it.

 

Take my own hobby - there is a difference between my choice to go a safe, controlled range with my Glock 9mm and, following the safety rules engage in some target shooting, knowing that an accident could occur to cause me injury or death, versus me taking my Glock and sitting in the backyard plinking soda cans off the fence with complete disregard for my neighbors' safety or comfort.

 

 

I know. Just like The Great Prohibition; if people want to, they will.

 

There is a potential risk of everything. But it also takes two. If I saw someone flying it around like that I would leave the area. Or if I was doing something crazy and probably something I shouldn't be doing and I see people come within the area I would stop. I bet there was warnings on the product and accidents happen. It must be very hard for the family and friends.

 

Yeah I think I really mean that it proves its dangerous and innocent bystanders could suffer. He did somewhat choose his fate but I am more concerned with the others that could have been hit or hurt and may be in the future.

 

I see things like this sort of like Second Hand smoke. Do I care if you do it? Not particularly, but don't do it around me unless I am choosing to be in your personal area. Same thing here. Street racing as Frog mentioned is a good anecdote. Doing this out in the road is dumb as hell. Not just for yourself but everyone else. However, if you want to go to a drag track and do it, I am less concerned that every once in a while you may wreck and hurt yourself. I don't like it, but its your choice.

 

Things like this just need rules.

 

Bikes and the like - your examples are good, but they don't necessarily pose obvious danger to others - Bikes do to the people riding them. 

 

I play Saxophone - Having it around your neck has shown in studies that it shortens your life. Thats my choice - but listening and watching me do it wont shorten others lives (Although it might come close ).

 

Shudameister, you definitely have a very good point, and I agree with you in most situations. I just would rather there be some rules to things like this rather than none at all. But I am not saying I have the best ideas to regulate it. It would be hard and you are absolutely right - people would still do it. But maybe things like this help because they make people aware that they can't just do what they want.

[shudameister]

Shudameister, you definitely have a very good point, and I agree with you in most situations. I just would rather there be some rules to things like this rather than none at all. But I am not saying I have the best ideas to regulate it. It would be hard and you are absolutely right - people would still do it. But maybe things like this help because they make people aware that they can't just do what they want.

 

I was slightly playing Devil's Advocate. I hope I don't offend anyone but people are pretty stupid. Emergency Department visits could be reduced if people weren't so stupid. But aren't there rules in the manual or on the box essentially saying "don't do anything too crazy, if you do you can't sue us because we told you not to do it and you went ahead and did it". I think the manual may say it in a slightly more formal and more acceptable way but you get the point.

[justafrog]

Nah, no offense here - it's a worthwhile debate and personal freedom, personal responsibility, and public safety are never easy, obvious things to work out the balance on.

[DoNotInsertIntoMouth]

I was slightly playing Devil's Advocate. I hope I don't offend anyone but people are pretty stupid. Emergency Department visits could be reduced if people weren't so stupid. But aren't there rules in the manual or on the box essentially saying "don't do anything too crazy, if you do you can't sue us because we told you not to do it and you went ahead and did it". I think the manual may say it in a slightly more formal and more acceptable way but you get the point.

 

Not a bit. I do agree with that. Just think about how many people have gone to the emergency room for reaching into their lawn mower trying to pull grass out of it that is clogging it. I know 4 different people myself.

[MartinP]

Not a bit. I do agree with that. Just think about how many people have gone to the emergency room for reaching into their lawn mower trying to pull grass out of it that is clogging it. I know 4 different people myself.

Always turn off the lawn mower first. I have pulled grass out of the bottom of a lwan mower over a hundred times and not once was I injured in any way, because I turned the mower off. Personally, i think that it was how stupid the person was that got himself killed. I have done many stupid things, but I am still alive. One of them was hiking up a mountain in the dead of winter when it is around -30 degree Fahrenheit. Sometimes people should be aware of what there are doing, so they do not get themselves or anyone else killed.