RC helicopter kills operator

[Nypsy]

A horrible accident...

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/teen-killed-remote-controlled-helicopter-slices-throat-article-1.1447068

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

[Mickey1992]

Ugh.  That's horrible.   

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Ugh.  That's horrible.   

I've been wondering how this kind of accidents are so rare with the large RC:s. It's very hazardous to be near these things after a certain size point.

[Rob52240]

I saw a headline that claimed he was decapitated, but the article under the headline said he got scalped.

[Masherbrum]

I saw a headline that claimed he was decapitated, but the article under the headline said he got scalped.

It said he was sliced on the head and in the throat.    

[Dragon]

In other cutting edge news.....



 

[titanic3]

Gee, how do explain that to relatives...your son got killed by a toy helicopter.

[VonMessa]

Terrible accident.

Convincing argument to have really good SA and reflexes.

[Nath[BDP]]

So sad.  Always thought these could be dangerous. 

[Gman]

Trying to teach my old man to fly the little ones, he hit me with a Blade SR, a smaller than 250 but close enough size helo.  It hurt, didn't cut me, but I had the wood blades on it instead of the more expensive carbon fiber ones.  If it was the CF blades I bet it would have sliced me open through me jeans, not to mention a strike in the head....I've flown a lot of 450 size helo's, and the one this guy got clobbered with was even larger.  It's surprising to me this hasn't happened more often to be honest, will all the young kids I see flying park flyers and crashing them into all kinds of stuff constantly.

[CAP1]

model helis can be VERY dangerous. i've seen a guy get hit by a .30 size heli. it left some serious welts on his back(he tried to run away when he lost control). that chopper in the pic looks like a .50 size. those things spin those rotor blade crazy fast. i think the engines run around 18,000rpm.  chances are that had it hit him anywhere else, he'd not have died.

 

[MiloMorai]

Was talking to the brother who flies r/c. The blades on the heli turn ~2000rpm. The main rotor blades are in the 700mm dia range.

He also said he didn't see any safety fencing for the operators.

[Tupac]

I know a guy who lost a finger to one of the things. Danger is in the eyes of the outsider. RIP kid.

[USRanger]

I could see how it could easily happen.  I was doing some work on my r/c airplane a few days ago (wondering why the prop wasn't working) when it suddenly went from nothing to full throttle in my hands.  The 4" plastic prop cut my hand all up, leaving it a bloody mess.  First accident I've had with it and I now have much more respect for it, even with it's 4' plastic prop.

[ghi]

sad!