Microcopter CRASH

[Trevor Dennis]

I loved the end of the 'Burn yes Burn' video. That was real panic! Not sure as I'd want to invest serious money in a rig if that shakey footage was typical though.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Seems to me that bad piloting may well be an indicator of bad airframe construction... These are "homebuilt" rigs to start with, and some sounded none too healthy on the audio. One looked like it experienced some sort of electrical/signal interference, either "internal" or external. Looked to me like mostly amateur pilots, and amateur cam operators as well, seemed like improper load/CG balance wasn't helping in some cases...

IOW there are so many possible "fail" points on these videos that it's hard to say what caused the wrecks (other than the fencepost... clearly a goof by a more experienced pilot).

These are "expensive toys", and just like the morons who crash Lamborghinis and Maseratis because they shouldn't be behind the wheel of a tricycle, some people don't have the slightest appreciation for the risks and take few or no precautions to avoid potential problems. Some people like to ride motorcycles without helmets...

I'm not sure that means that the copters themselves are inherently dangerous, just that if you put a loose nut behind any device/machine/contraption, it makes for "funny" video... now everyone has a camera, it's just more apparent how dumb things happen to "silly" people doing stupid things...

[Warren Kawamoto]

Wow. Crashed RC jet causes a major fire?
LiveLeak.com - RC Jet crashes into apartment complex in Taiwan

[Dave Blackhurst]

Too much heat causes fires, gravity causes things to fall out of the sky, uncontrolled momentum causes things to bash into other things... unexpected design flaws rear their ugly head...

All basic physics, AKA "doodie happens", or "things fall apart, it's scientific"...

Shouldn't be that surprising, or result in a bunch more rules against "stupidity" or "crazy"... if we passed a law every time anyone did anything stupid or crazy, EVERYONE would have a criminal record... and the politicians would have no time to pass a budget... oh wait, nevermind... Soon perhaps we'll all have to roll up in bubble wrap and wear a helmet to go outside, since we are too stupid to prevent harm coming to ourselves or others...

The other night someone had their live feed from a microcopter and GP camera on the "Holiday Lights" segment on the late evening news... no one was injured... the lights were pretty...

The small percentage of the time when things go "wrong" it makes the news, the rest of the time, we muddle through pretty well... After all, we just survived the end of the world, right?

[Bob Hart]

"and one of the last two flying field was immediately closed by the government." A bit of a jackbooted but effective way of containing a problem.

Ah well, we shall have to get off our bronzes out here and promote a tourist package for all who want to fly RC out here in our wide open spaces. Jandakot Airport already hosts several flying schools for offshore airlines, China Southern being one of them, so a venue in a safe location for offshore radio flyers would not be such a bad thing.

[Trevor Dennis]

The copter hitting the tall building clip made our national TV news a week or so back. Not sure how it suddenly became news so long after the event, but this is New Zealand, and you should see what makes the front pages of local newspapers!

It was the usual knee jerk, how about some control before someone gets hurt angle, but they have a point. When I lived in the UK I regularly used a footpath that ran along the Thames Estury, close to an RC Model Club's field at Liegh-on-Sea. I regularly got buzzed, and had one close call where an out of control crashed onto the footpath five yards in front of me! I guess you have to put things into perspective when you look at yet another gun tragedy in the States. :-(

[Warren Kawamoto]

Do NOT crash an RC helicopter on your head. *graphic*
Atlas of Ophthalmology: Helicopter blade ocular injury* by Dr. Adrian Koay

[Trevor Dennis]

+1 _very_ graphic. Some up close images of some very nasty injuries, so please don't click on the link if you are even slightly squeamish!

[Warren Kawamoto]

Quadcopter hits groom on head. How long will it be before someone actually gets killed?
LiveLeak.com - Quadcopter hits groom

[Chuck Spaulding]

That's just wrong on so many levels however creating laws to prevent this sort of thing happening is futile.

I seriously doubt that anyone who is as stupid as this pilot [and to a lessor extent the bride and groom] can read or comprehend them anyway.

You just can't legislate stupidity and the people who continually try are simply demonstrating their own stupidity...

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Chuck Spaulding

That's just wrong on so many levels however creating laws to prevent this sort of thing happening is futile.

Not necessarily - it means that if someone is still stupid enough to do it, it's much easier to take them to court either on criminal charges or to sue them. Without the laws, they can just say "whoops, accidents happen...." and it's far more difficult legally. That has a deterent effect as well as punishing the guilty.

Drink driving may be a good parallel. If someone in the past caused an accident whilst drunk, they may still have been prosecuted but without specific laws it's more difficult.

Trouble is, these laws penalise the responsible as well as the idiots, but there are now so many examples of problems with idiots with quadrocopters that laws are probably inevitable.

[Chuck Spaulding]

Chances are that was a wedding videographer that shot this, its already against the law and that didn't prevent it from happening.

Also chances are that the most the couple could hope for by taking this person to court would be a free wedding video from the guy that almost killed them. I doubt he has any significant assets.

Not sure how well the drunk driving laws prevent people from driving while intoxicated? They don't seem to work all that well even after someone is prosecuted for it which is kind of my point.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Statistically more people are killed with hammers, we must immediately outlaw hammers!! Only fuly licensed trained and insured people should own a hammer!!

<snarkastic mode off>

Really, this is a better example of "stupidity should be painful"... more laws don't do anything but criminalize otherwise responsible behavior and open the door to more (often frivolous) litigation. Not something anyone "needs"...

Outlawing stupidity simply makes EVERYONE a "criminal" sooner or later - anyone here that can say that they NEVER did something "stupid"??? ANYONE??? Ferris? Hello?? <crickets>...

Yep, people do stupid things, sometimes on purpose, sometimes from ignorance, sometimes due to "accident", mechanical failure or bad programming... sometimes it results in damage or injury. Laws won't stop it, and providing more empolyment opportunity for "counselors" will eventually mean we all have to walk around wrapped in bubble wrap or something! Promote common sense and personal responsibility instead

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Chuck Spaulding

Also chances are that the most the couple could hope for by taking this person to court would be a free wedding video from the guy that almost killed them. I doubt he has any significant assets.

Two things. He should be insured for legal actions against him as a result of accidents during his work, and that should pay out.

Secondly, whatever any civil action, then the police may well wish to bring criminal charges. Even without specific law, this may well come under something like GBH without intent. (Basically, somebody is injured through recklessness or stupidity without any malicious intent.)

And whilst it wouldn't turn the clock back, stop that accident happening, the Prosecution Service may argue that it serves as a warning to others. Same as many other prosecutions brought - not simply to punish perpretrators, but warn everybody else.

Originally Posted by Chuck Spaulding

Not sure how well the drunk driving laws prevent people from driving while intoxicated? They don't seem to work all that well even after someone is prosecuted for it which is kind of my point.

I think you need to look up statistics. The reason I chose drink driving is that it's an example where the results are fairly unequivocal, at least in the UK. Take a look at Drink Driving Statistics | Statistics On Drinking & Driving for example.

I'm normally highly suspicious of statistics but these show for the thirty years between 1979 and 2008 a drop in both accidents and deaths attributable to illegal alcohol levels down to roughly a QUARTER of the 1979 levels. The conviction levels are also interesting - rising to a peak around the late 80's, then falling back, even though remaining high compared to 1979. Which seems to prove that whilst people are still being prosecuted, so obviously there's still a lot of driving with illegal levels, the legislation seems to have worked in terms of preventing deaths and casualties.

Since the ratio of deaths/accident is fairly constant, that takes a lot of factors out of the reckoning (cars being more intrinsically safe, seat belt wearing etc). It's difficult to think of any other reason for the huge alcohol related accident/death rate reductions than the drink drive legislation and it's enforcement.

Dave - in law the word "reasonable" gets used a lot, and generally a clear line is drawn between "being a bit unlucky" and "downright stupid or reckless". There's a lot of difference between careless and dangerous driving, for example. The former would normally be seen as result of a momentary lapse, the latter a more premeditated act, something happening over a period of time, or planned. I don't want to see anybody persecuted for a bit of carelessness, but that's no excuse to let off people whose behaviour may "reasonably" be considered dangerous or reckless.

[Warren Kawamoto]

THIS JUST IN! Someone in the crowd got hit in the face at Great Bull Run, Virginia. What caused this? Dropped command signal? Equipment malfunction?

Drone crash: | WTVR.com