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Man Killed By His Own Radio-Controlled Helicopter In Brooklyn
An anonymous reader sends this news from the Wall Street Journal:
"A 19-year-old model helicopter enthusiast was killed Thursday when a toy helicopter he was flying struck him in the head, a law-enforcement official said. Victim Roman Pirozek 'was known to be aggressive in his flying and often executed tricks. He was executing a trick when he was struck,' the official said. Mr. Pirozek – depicted in [this YouTube video] he posted in July — was flying a remote-controlled helicopter worth about $2,000 when it struck him, cutting off the top of his head, the official said. The Woodhaven, Queens, resident was pronounced dead at the scene. His father was with him at the time of the accident, the official said."
Holy hell that's insane. What a way to go :(
Hats off for model helicopter enthusiasts.
Too soon?
Do you really refresh Slashdot all day for the latest news, AC? That's not really what it's for. Maybe you live in NYC, but it wasn't on the news aggregators I looked at last night.
Oh, and, topically: BAN ALL THE THINGS!
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Those things are not "toys". Anyone with more than a passing interest in them will tell you that.
This guy is going to get flamed but I agree. No flying-chainsaws near your own head. It seems like a "no-brainer" oops, too soon?
Maybe I'm an isolated case, but I hardly watch TV (Netflix-aholic) and this did not show up on news.google.com yesterday - or at least I did not see it. Besides that, this is not time-sensitive news.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
I gotta agree. After watching that video of him flying his RC copter so recklessly, this was pure idiocy.
Given his attitude, "'was known to be aggressive in his flying and often executed tricks", would be matter of time for getting someone hurt. Father's fault for not teaching him prudence properly.
Real helicopter pilots always wear a helmet. And so should you...
BTW, would somebody think of the children ? How long before some maniac brings one of these to school and decapitates a bunch of innocent children?
It is long overdue we ban them on school grounds (and for a couple of miles around each school) and establish a national registry for the devices and background checks for buyers!
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
If you want recent news, don't come to Slashdot.
If you want hardcore technical news, don't come to Slashdot.
If you want real politics, don't come to Slashdot.
Slashdot is about discussing the stories. Most of the discussions and stories carry a bias that most either love or hate. Most are wildly inaccurate... to the point some of them come off like total lies.
Slashdot really isn't a news site. It's not the best place for news from any genre of news. The opinions of those who discuss the news are often narrow minded and wrong.
Welcome to Slashdot.
Yeah, I agree this very unsafe behavior for at least one reason, just off the top of my head.
Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
At least he didn't kill anybody else.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
Do you really mean ban all the things - like ban chainsaws and BBQ grills and all the other things that could kill a person when not used safely, or do you just mean ban remote control helicopters because you have some irrational bias against other people's hobbies.
They told me that if I voted for Mitt Romney, the middle east would slide into turmoil and bloodshed due to the US's wreckless cowboy diplomacy. And they were right!
Toy helicopters are available for $20 from amazon.
This was an enthusiast's RC model.
Toys don't decapitate people.
Do you really mean ban all the things - like ban chainsaws and BBQ grills and all the other things that could kill a person when not used safely, or do you just mean ban remote control helicopters because you have some irrational bias against other people's hobbies.
Pretty sure he means to be facetious, Eisenstein.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Who is actually advocating, or going to advocate, banning them? Citations? I'm waiting.
By the way, you forgot to put <smug> . . . </smug> tags around your post.
...the Rotary Club will make him an honorary member?
I was a klutz, big hands, big feet, big head, small body, but I tried out for every sport and when I didn't make the teams I waited to be picked last for pickup games. I don't know if this guy missed out on team sports but maybe he did. Sports teach you you can get hurt. Computer games and remote controlled toys don't teach you about getting hurt. They don't instill caution.
I'm not saying it's likely at all, but how can one be sure that someone else didn't override his signal and took over control of the craft? Just a thought.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
More like a flying lawnmower, no?
Couple this incident with Colorado selling thousands of drone hunting permits and perhaps its time to find a safer hobby than model aircraft. Like say noodling
Wait. What? There was prostitution involved?
The world is made by those who show up for the job.
Maybe it was actually a malfunction but I suspect not.
It seems like serious hobbyists sometimes run into the same problem as many of the extreme sports folks. It's easy to become complacent after years of nothing serious ever going wrong, then they let their guard down or take an unreasonable risk just one time too many and the results are catastrophic.
They call them helicopter blades for a reason. Never let them get near you under any circumstances, unless the model is shut down.
This is New York though, so I'm sure there will be new an idiotic regulations requiring foam-rubber blades and full-body kevlar, or more likely just banning all powered models larger than a couple of pounds alltogether (except for government agencies or law enforcement). Imagine this thing carrying a soda larger than 16 ounces. Now that would be a truly egregious danger.
Bam!
Really, how can someone be so stupid?
He had plenty of space to fly..
The trick should not be how close to potential danger you are. Especially with a 4+ foot wingspan!
I can hear the legal coffers clinking as lawyers prepare to amass and file class action lawsuits over an infrequent incident blown out of proportion by newscasts seething with "Think of the children" and "Helicopters kill people" campaigns.
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
if i were to die by drone (radio controlled aircraft in this case) id rather it be the one I control.
Good people go to bed earlier.
You mispelled sarcastic.
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- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
If you want recent news, don't come to Slashdot.
Are you kidding? It's well known now, but you see, there's even a lag in the complaints, so when he sent the message, it was still timely.
Being more expensive doesn't make it stop being a toy.
...NYC outlawing remote-controlled planes/helicopters/etc in 3...2...1...
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it! --Longbottle
There are also procedures for using chainsaws, barbecue grills, and other things that can kill a person. There probably are procedures, at least minimal, CYA procedures for model aircraft too. That he wasn't following them is why he killed himself. Given his performance-nature of his stunts, think of it like the guy who juggles chainsaws, a not-recommended use of the device, that could, and in this case did, lead to injury and death.
I play with model rockets. Fairly big ones, I'm up into the "G" engine size, and we practice a certain amount of range safety. I've had factory-made engines explode on the pad and that 30' distance is very important, as are following procedures for hooking up the electrical wiring for the ignition. Even with rockets that have exploded on the pad, rockets that have broken up in-flight right after leaving the pad, and rockets that have caught on fire, no one has ever been hurt because we're not stupid enough to sit right next to the rocket when we fire it. The only real danger we have to face is rockets whose parachute ejection fails, and the rocket coming down like a javelin, which has happened a couple of times but nowhere in the vicinity of where anyone was at the time.
I feel sorry for the guy's family, but my sympathy is limited by the documented reckless behavior he's shown before.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
tricks execute you.
(sorry)
Some of the stunts he performs are pretty impressive, but as far as I can tell they're all dangerously close to him, given the model can go what appears 0-100 in less than a second. At some points the vehicle is less than 10 feet from him. I would call it a toy, but it's a bit beyond that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRPfLKVMGM8 - Last video posted by Pirozek. Rest in peace, doing what you loved.
Twilight Zone: The Movie. Yrggg!
I'm not saying it's likely at all, but how can one be sure that someone else didn't override his signal and took over control of the craft? Just a thought.
It's quite possible with the old analog FM transmitters if you knew which channel they were in, and even then the two transmitters would be "fighting" for control and positive override control would be very difficult. The way he was used to flying so close to himself (according to one of the stories) it only takes a brief "radio hit" while the chopper was close enough to him to lose momentary control and cause this impact. Someone could possibly take advantage of one of these moments and just mess with the signal a little bit, if they wanted to do it deliberately.
In the case of an FM radio system it's more possible it may have happened by accident if someone on the same FM channel started their transmitter and gave his receiver even a quick radio hit. At a field with loose radio impound rules it's possible another user on his FM channel could have accidentally switched their transmitter on without checking to see if that channel was in use. In my rookie days I would have done something like that.
With the newer digital 2.4GHz spread-spectrum stuff it's highly unlikely to happen by accident and would be a lot more work to achieve deliberately.
Either way I would not take the chance to fly so close to me. I have a healthy respect of rotating machinery and so should everyone.
"Now, I doubt any of you would prefer a rolled up newspaper as a weapon against a dictator or a criminal intruder."
RIP
The article doesn't say why he was so enthusiastic about 19 year old helicopters.
RIP RC guy.
I have a hard time calling something that can chop off the top of your head a toy.
Given his performance-nature of his stunts, think of it like the guy who juggles chainsaws, a not-recommended use of the device, that could, and in this case did, lead to injury and death.
Actually, juggling chainsaws, while somewhat dangerous, isn't as bad as it looks. Even though the motor is running, the chain is not moving, at least with a stock chainsaw. You have to press on the trigger for the chain to move. Fucking safety interlocks, how do they work?
I feel sorry for people that don't drink, because when they get up in the morning, that's as good as they're gonna feel
They are definitely NOT toys
The high performance ones have 5 to 10 HP motors
The flying style currently popular among the top pilots is to fly very close to the ground and very close to the pilot
So naturally, the guys with less talent want to fly like the pros
I think this is kinda crazy..no room for error
I know what I said.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
I bet this is the nefarious plot of Dr. Charles Luther.
Yeah, that's Gene Fuckin' Simmons there. WTF 80's?!!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I've got half a mind to build one myself......
There probably are procedures, at least minimal, CYA procedures for model aircraft too. That he wasn't following them is why he killed himself. Given his performance-nature of his stunts, think of it like the guy who juggles chainsaws, a not-recommended use of the device, that could, and in this case did, lead to injury and death.
Except that helicopter was many feet away from him for most of its use, and it was intended to be used exactly as he used it. It's sometimes not possible to be aware of exactly how far away and high up a model is just by looking, as models are small and depth perception is weak in our species.
There is only ONE 'CYA' rule for model aircraft: Try not to hit anything. Most of the time when you operate an R/C aircraft, it's something smaller and softer, where if it did hit a person, it might give them a small cut from the prop but is otherwise like getting hit by a big Nerf dart. This guy was using the metalized pro model, which was a bit more dangerous.
It sounds like he was doing some simple ground effect tricks, and the heli got too close and clipped him. It's actually a hobby and a sport, in which many hundreds of people participate. If you think doing tricks with model helis is 'documented reckless behavior', then I have nothing to say but "You must be a ton of fun at parties.."
If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
I saw a youtube video of this guy performing stunts with his model craft, and it looked absolutely insane. The things that he did with that craft seemed unreal. The speed and precision involved is mind-boggling. I can also see why this guy had the top of his head, and a shoulder, cut off.
I'm at work right now, so I can't go searching youtube for the video, but I'm sure it's not hard to find since he used his real name for his youtube username.
He was the Associate Vice President or something of the Model Rotary Aircraft club for Brooklyn or something.
I sorta skimmed TFA.
But if we're going to make jokes about honorary club membership, maybe he'll get an honorary membership in the National Association of Self-Induced Lobotomies (NASIL, so named after the ancient egyptians way of removing brain matter.).
You'll probably get modded down for that. Just a head's up.
He should have flown his stunt towards Anthony's Weiner?
Silence is a state of mime.
Where are helicopter parents when you need them?
Roman was out with his father
Of safety he couldn't be bothered.
As was his shtick
he pulled off a trick
and his helicopter became his barber.
"Lame" - Galaxar
Pretty sure he means to be facetious, Eisenstein.
OK, in Soviet Russia, famous movie director is also as smart as a physicist?
https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
I keep seeing people (even the parent article here) using the term "toy" helicopter.
These models are NOT "toys". They're precision machines and very VERY dangerous. Treating them like toys is what leads to people getting hurt.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
No, I have my own dangerous hobbies. I've built engines, rebuilt carburetors and had my share of spontaneous combustion of some of them that I screwed up with, and had other automotive issues that were interesting to deal with when they cropped up. Nothing like a front tire blowout on a 30 year old truck at 75mph... Anyway, he cut part of his head off, his fault. I'm not saying that I would've told him to not do what he was doing, but I wouldn't have wanted to be around when he was doing it either. He did what he wanted to do, and it cost him everything.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
An aircraft flies very quickly. It can happen to any pilot.
I think it's more a matter of danger.
The $20 toy one you could hit with your finger and meh, at most might smart like snapping a rubber band.
A copter like that or others will often have blades made from carbon fiber, be very sharp at the edge and spinning at several thousand RPM. Put your finger near it and it'll slice it off.
I no longer have to go all the way up to Freeside just to let my friendly neighborhood AI shake the Turing cops off my tail.
education is no substitute for intelligence
He was nearsighted :D
LOL, I never knew Eisenstein was a real person! To me it's just something we used to say when we were being smart-assed kids.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
If he's mere feet away from it, the other signal would have to be quite strong to stomp on it (presuming the same power level is used)
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
You misspelled misspelled.
And Alsee misspelled Einstein (unless of course he knows who the AC is). :)
[John]
Shit better not happen!
The NSA took over his helicopter and killed him with it to justify a ban on private ownership and operation of "drones," which will be enacted by our King shortly. This will free up the skies for NSA and CIA drones to spy on American citizens without interference from private "drones."
..
Was the helicopter OK?
Now they are going to make them put foam around the rotors and a tennis ball on the ends. Probably won't even fly anymore, but won't anyone think of the children?
Is this considered accidental suicide or something like that? I wonder how his life insurance company (if any) will handle this.
Difficult but not impossible. The specific frequency hopping algorithm of this model has been reverse engineered, as I posted in reply to someone else in this discussion, and with a software radio it's not that hard to synchronize to this. If you have a powerful transmitter and/or big antenna, you can override his signal. Of course, you can just use a high power jammer as well, which is much easier--engage it only when the chopper is close to the mark. But as I said, I don't think this is likely, just that it's a small possibility.
"Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
What a tragedy. From watching his youtube videos, it was clear that, as a pilot, he was head and shoulders above the rest.
They do have a motive, web traffic & ad sales. Accidents do happen every day, but grandma falling down the stairs doesn't draw traffic. Guy accidentally cuts off half of his own head, im sorry to say, but it draws attention. Its the old adage, if it bleeds it leads. Look at the number of slashdot posts on it, where this article will be one of the most commented articles of the day, and most hits, but essentially has the very least amount of comments needed.
Slashdot is about discussing the stories. Most of the discussions and stories carry a bias that most either love or hate. Most are wildly inaccurate... to the point some of them come off like total lies.
Slashdot really isn't a news site. It's not the best place for news from any genre of news. The opinions of those who discuss the news are often narrow minded and wrong.
Welcome to Slashdot.
You're thinking of Fox News
I asked for a citation, and you didn't give one. Instead you just gave more smug platitudes.
trick executes you.
Technoli
http://www.spike.com/video-clips/0n8an2/1000-ways-to-die-just-plane-dead
Sometimes I think Slashdot is the nerd arm of Fox News.
RC Helicopters kill people, let's get them banned!! We need more RC Helicopter laws!!! Criminals will start using them!!!!
--- If the bible proves the existence of God, then Superman comics prove the existence of Superman.
I had just visited the park where this happened to watch because i love this hobby (prior to the incident) and there really should be more safety precautions taken in fling fields, because these helicopters are only 40-50 yards from the spectators, and there is nothing stopping these things to do what it did to that kid
Last year I went to a fun fly at that field. A lot of those guys, including Roman (who I met), were pretty much flying right in their faces and on the deck the entire time they were flying. Even that day there was an incident where another guy was flying above his skill level on the deck, the tail smacked the ground and the heli started pirouetting out of control. Well it flew right into the pit area and hit a car, and the shattering glass injured somebody. And yet immediately after there were still about 6 or 7 guys at a time flying next to each other on a field that's about 500 feet wide without any concept of staying in their own flight box. Since that day I hadn't been there again and I definitely am not going back there now.
Here come the draconian government regulations. This is just what they needed to make the skies clearer for their assassination drones.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
At least on mine it's not a safety interlock (which would prevent the chain from moving at all), it's a centripetal clutch. Clutch doesn't engage until the motor is going x-many RPM, which pushes the spring-loaded arms outward until they contact the inside of the drum of the clutch, which is what rotates the chain sprocket. I had a Motobecane moped years ago that functioned the same way.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
His performance was
*puts on sunglasses*
cut short!
what he meant with documented reckless behavior was an earlier YT clip (sorry) of him flying a similar model close to his friend on a park picnic table.
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
Okay, but effectively yours works the same way. If the chainsaw is idling, the chain is not turning.
I feel sorry for people that don't drink, because when they get up in the morning, that's as good as they're gonna feel
the park is at Gravesend Bay, near Coney Island and it can get pretty gusty off the ocean. I'm from the area, in fact I was sailing near by on Wednesday and I was going to stay out overnight and sail Thursday as well. Wednesday was beautiful and the wind was just right with a few gusts to get the adrenaline flowing. But Thursday was supposed to be a lot worse and it sounded like too much work, so i got out on Wednesday night. After hearing about this I'm all the more glad i didn't go out thurs.. I was out a couple days before, and it was really gusty then, the coast guard helicopter was circling around to see if anyone was in trouble.I'm currently not working :(, but having lots of fun :).
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Are you sure he's not referring to Gauss' student?
One moron and this whole thing will be banned.
It was his helicopter, so he should have known how big it is. Given the size, anyone with half a brain can estimate the size.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
... trick executes you.
Small cut from the prop? Please tell me you don't fly RC.
Tip speed is almost constant for RC props in similar use. The smaller the prop the higher the RPM. Granting the small props weigh less, they will still fuck you up.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
It was his helicopter, so he should have known how big it is. Given the size, anyone with half a brain can estimate the size.
You forgot one eye, he'll need half a brain, one eye, and an estimate of the size to estimate the distance from the apparent size. Conveniently, he now has half a brain...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Oh, we will off it entirely.
ID: the nose did not occur naturally, how would we wear glasses otherwise? (apologies to Voltaire)
I have to say that I am honestly sick and appalled by all those making jokes of a person's DEATH.
I am honestly very surprised to see this lack of compassion and ability to empathize with someone else's immense loss. While I may not have a 19 year old son, I do have a daughter whom is turning 3 years old. The mere thought of ever having to see her die in front of me pisses me off to a degree I cannot even properly explain and also breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes hoping I will never have to endure that.
I cannot begin to understand what the father of this young guy has to endure seeing his son die in front of him. I am very close to my own father and I know if something like that happened to me it would destroy him. Those of you making jokes are completely sick and I hope you all suffer terrible diseases and in general have Karma catch up with you.
Heaven forbid if I ever found myself needing help I know the slashdot crowd now are NOT people that I could depend on for a shred of humanity. Has growing your neck beards, fat asses and knowledge of Linux erased your ability to function as human beings? Can those of you that like to tinker with legos and build robots out of the technic stuff and all that not understand that this person had a hobby similar to yours, just under a different subject?
Least the kid was there doing something constructive, and providing entertainment to both himself and those around him. It never crossed my mind that something like this would happen, although yes thinking about it, it does look dangerous. The car that I put serious money into to get more power out of could potentially kill me if I lost control going 160 on a dead stretch of highway having fun. We all have our vices, but damn people.
This is sad... If i wanted to read ruthless crap like what has been posted by you worthless sacks of flesh I would of thought I would have to go read Live Leak comments or Ogrish. It's easy to arm chair comment and work up the math of what joules of force it takes to hypothetically cut through skull and brain matter, but the kid had to walk the walk and feel it.
Damn, if terrorists attack us after the crazy shit the government is pulling, I hope you lot wind up eating a nice big dirty bomb up your arses and bleed out getting to experience death in intricate detail. Maybe while your at it, you can work out math equations and your next pearl scripts in your heads to identify how much blood content is left in your bodies as it bleeds out and possibly get the chance to learn compassion for those that came before you suffering horrendous deaths. Or hell, maybe you'll be the next posts to have more slashdot moral high horse leaguers cracking jokes about your deaths while your families (if you have any that care about you) either celebrate or suffer the loss.
grep my bawls beyotches!
Will this slow down the march of mechanized, flying-everything-everywhere in our skies? Hopefully.
I'm sorry for the family's loss.
To clarify, the TFV WASN'T the vehicle that killed him. The TFV featured a 300mm (Motor to motor. The propellers are much smaller, probably around 8 inches) multirotor that wouldn't do much more than a bad scratch if it hit you. The helicopter involved is a 600mm blade span traditional helicopter. The TFV is an inacuraccy of sloppy reporting by someone who doesn't know the difference. It's safe to assume that with the style of flying Roman was doing, he didn't have a camera on board, nor would the footage be on YouTube yet.
For a modern chainsaw three come to mind.
1. There is a centrifugal clutch on the engine. If the engine isn't turning over at a high enough RPM then the clutch is disengaged. This is probably what you are talking about.
2. Throttle trigger interlock. The throttle trigger can't be squeezed to accelerate the engine unless a lever in the handle is held down. This tries to ensure that at least one hand is properly positioned on the chainsaw. It also stops the saw from accelerating if it is dropped or kicked while running.
3. Chain brake. A bar in front of the front/top handle. If you push this bar forward it acctuates a brake that stops the chain no matter what speed the engine is running at. Its normal use is to lock the chain when you aren't using it. Its positioning is such that if you have a kickback while operating the saw the chain brake will hopefully be actuated and the chain stop before the bar hits something soft and squishy.
...with his cousin.
Flying lawnmowers may cause bodily harm.
EXECUTED HIM.
I saw an early linked video of the pilot which has been taken down from youtube
the flying I saw was close, fast and left little margin for error.
if you add risk and leave a minimal margin for error the result is inevitable
rip roman
Two-years from now, an episode of mythbusters will try it out and see if it's possible or not and then end with they will use katana blades on top of a helicopter to test it even further.
And you misspeled CanHasDIY.
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- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
I don't see why this is news. It's not like something like this has never happened before. Those things are dangerous. Accidents are bound to happen somewhere, somehow, sooner or later.
Dropbox drops it like it's hot.
For sure, this kid is a candidate for a Darwin Award. See: http://www.darwinawards.com/
"cutting off the top of his head" WOW... that sounds like a real helicopter. I hope he wins the Darwin award this year!
This is the third death by rc helicopter thatÂI've heard of this year...
Was it a Hattori Hanzo helicopter?