Roman Pirozek Investigation Results?

[MadDogSailor]

As disgusting as the photo may be, it will only help for a few times, further down the road people will become numb for the gruesomeness of the picture and continue flying as before. Everybody makes mistakes, I believe it should be open for discussion to point out to someone if he takes big risks in order to create awareness.

Furthermore I want to give my condolences to all people involved and related.

For the rest of us: have a (very) safe flight.

[jshqSeGH]

Originally Posted by MadDogSailor

As disgusting as the photo may be, it will only help for a few times, further down the road people will become numb for the gruesomeness of the picture and continue flying as before.

I think you're right.

Everybody makes mistakes, I believe it should be open for discussion to point out to someone if he takes big risks in order to create awareness.

That's the approach many professional aviators take (eg airlines, military aviators). Sadly, I think this hobby has a long way to go before we get even close to nurturing that kind of culture.

[AntDX316]

Anyone know what happened?

[Kap'n Krunch]

Originally Posted by Zoot

Has there been any official results published regarding Roman Pirozek Jr. fatal RC Helicopter accident in Brooklyn, NY last September?

I can't seem to find anything searching Google.

What organization is investigating? AMA, FAA, NYPD?

I believe The original report was he was attempting a maneuver and lost control

[dbirds2]

I wouldnt even fly rc helis if i had to fly at the same field where others fly. Cant stand the clubs or fields.

[Calil]

Originally Posted by dbirds2

I wouldnt even fly rc helis if i had to fly at the same field where others fly. Cant stand the clubs or fields.

May I ask you why?

[majorlemond]

My heart goes out to this young guy and his family, such a cruel turn of events from a safe hobby. Incredibly unlucky.

There is always going to be an inherit risk in flying though, all we can try to do is minimise it.

[rbliddal]

This accident still sends ripples thru the RC communities worldwide… it’s truly horrific and my deepest sympathy to his family!

That said, the only problem I see with the picture is that it apparently was publish without content from the family, that is close too unforgivable!
When I “many years ago” was in the school for electricians wee where shown some very horrific pictures of electrical accidents… THAT WORKED I been super careful having those pictures in mind being aware of what could go wrong and what it looked like if it did (a picture says a 1000 words)

These days the most dangerous thing in my job is the actual drive to my costumers and an occasional papercut, but there are so many ways to die and one day your number is up… the only thing in life that is guaranteed from day one.

You hopefully learn lessons throughout your life, but some lessons you defiantly do not want to learn the hard way. Be careful and help each other to remember what is safe and what is not.

Regardless every security measures in the world… Shit happens – don’t stop living.

[robertvizzo]

I flew with one of his friends at helifreak in Anderson the same year he died in 2013 we even did a pilot hover tribute for him that year, this is totally second hand he showed me the picture that weekend while we were having some drinks at night and told me that Piro's father wanted to share the photo so others could see how bad it can get if your not careful. Keep in mind it was just weeks after the accident so the photo was still very new. He also stated that he lost it during a hurricane and that what killed him. Again it was second hand talk but when he told me the story you could tell he knew a lot about the accident.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by robertvizzo

I flew with one of his friends at helifreak in Anderson the same year he died in 2013 we even did a pilot hover tribute for him that year, this is totally second hand he showed me the picture that weekend while we were having some drinks at night and told me that Piro's father wanted to share the photo so others could see how bad it can get if your not careful. Keep in mind it was just weeks after the accident so the photo was still very new. He also stated that he lost it during a hurricane and that what killed him. Again it was second hand talk but when he told me the story you could tell he knew a lot about the accident.

His father wanting to prevent other accidents is admirable. I don't get the whole cover it up as respect to the family. If I go doing something stupid, please share with others so they don't do the same thing. I have no problem with others learning from my mistakes. Its not like anyone in the hobby is looking at those pictures going, wow, what a dummy, most of us are saying, crap, that could have been me, I need to remember to fly futher away from myself.

[ic-racer]

In terms of other sports, 3D RC Helicopter piloting is in its infancy. In many other sports, time and experience have revealed activities that are dangerous.

The RC Helicopter sport is still learning.

This is dangerous to both the pilot and anyone around the circle. Makes lawn darts seem like a kids game.

[Jim Ryan]

I'm old enough to remember the old drivers' ed films. For you younger guys, back in the 60s and 70s a fixture of HS drivers' ed class was showing the student drivers gory films from accident scenes, including decapitations, car fires, etc. The idea was to scare some sense into 16 year olds, who by definition think they're bullet-proof. They stopped doing it in part because there was no evidence that it did any good.

I don't need to see a photo of this unfortunate young man to know that a 700 class helicopter needs to be treated with respect.

Jim

[JamesDowson]

So,hence any reasonable result being proposed?
I'm eagerly to know about what exactly happened in that very machine caused that accident.
Heard about that the cause was the gyro falling out which gives the helicopter wrong attitude control,so it looked like an out-of-control.But I couldn't find any evidence around the web.
And so that we could contain any lethally latent defect on our aircraft.

[peteski]

Originally Posted by JamesDowson

So,hence any reasonable result being proposed?
I'm eagerly to know about what exactly happened in that very machine caused that accident.
Heard about that the cause was the gyro falling out which gives the helicopter wrong attitude control,so it looked like an out-of-control.But I couldn't find any evidence around the web.
And so that we could contain any lethally latent defect on our aircraft.

Let's say it had crashed a few feet in front of him and he had walked away. Would you still want to know exactly why the heli crashed then?

If it was a mechanical or electronic failure and not just simple pilot error, I highly doubt it was something that we could universally learn anything new from. The only difference here is that the poor guy finished up dead.

RC helicopters crash every day for countless reasons. They are built by amateurs using cheap consumable unregulated parts with little or no redundancy. If you were shrunk down and flew inside an RC helicopter, how long do you think you would survive? You would be doing well to live through a couple of hundred flights.

The only thing to learn from this is that these machines can actually kill you, so keep your distance and show them plenty of respect e.g. don't skimp on your pre-flights checks or general maintenance. Don't fly recklessly or way beyond your ability.

[Smoggie]

Originally Posted by peteski

The only thing to learn from this is that these machines can actually kill you, so keep your distance and show them plenty of respect e.g. don't skimp on your pre-flights checks or general maintenance. Don't fly recklessly or way beyond your ability.

Wise words. You are spot on, almost any crash of a large heli could potentially be fatal, your only protection is :
a) try not to crash
b) keep the heli at a safe distance

In response to previous post.....Lets say that the idle speculation was true and his FBL had come off?.. What would that mean we do that we don't already do? We all know already that the FBL needs to be well secured and if it comes off we will crash. A crash due to loss of the FBL is no more likely to kill you than a crash due to many other faults.

[dyuen888]

It hard to imagine that three years ago we lost a good friend and a fellow SRW club member today. After three years - we and including Roman Sr. has done a lot of healing. The official cause remains as a freak accident and the club is flying as normal albeit some more multi-rotors. The FBL unit was intact and still mounted.

Roman Sr. has wanted some good to come from Jr dead by improving R/C Helicopter safety. BUT I can say 100% it has not included showing or using his son dead photo to promote that cause.

On this third anniversary, please pause for a moment of silent on the flight line before starting up to remember a fellow pilot.

Fly Safe..

[peteski]

Originally Posted by dyuen888

It hard to imagine that three years ago we lost a good friend and a fellow SRW club member today. After three years - we and including Roman Sr. has done a lot of healing. The official cause remains as a freak accident and the club is flying as normal albeit some more multi-rotors. The FBL unit was intact and still mounted.

Roman Sr. has wanted some good to come from Jr dead by improving R/C Helicopter safety. BUT I can say 100% it has not included showing or using his son dead photo to promote that cause.

On this third anniversary, please pause for a moment of silent on the flight line before starting up to remember a fellow pilot.

Fly Safe..

Thanks for the information, it was clearly a very tragic accident.

Bearing in mind that threads often crop up discussing how close it is reasonably safe to fly large rc helis, especially when you see pro pilots flying very close in, did Roman have a history of flying close up? Or was this a truly freak accident where it came at him from a distance and for whatever reason he didn't react? I'm kind of presuming he was flying up close when something went wrong (doesn't matter what) and he had no time to react.

Actually the answer to my question is not so important, as it is obvious that the risks increase exponentially as you fly closer, but it may be a warning to other pilots never to get complacent or at the very least realise they may possibly die or get badly injured (as extreme sports athletes do) if something goes wrong.

Due to threads like this and because I don't want my heli flying to become an extreme sport, I always fly well away from myself where the risk of a direct strike is extremely remote, regardless of the failure mode. It may be exciting to fly very close up, but also pretty risky too. I know deaths are very rare in this hobby, but nasty injuries not quite so rare.

[Atomic Skull]

Originally Posted by HeliNY

The city was launching an investigation and halting all flying in the park until it reached a conclusion. I have not heard anything since that announcement at the time of the accident. There is a picture of Roman which shows the extent of the injury, it is so disturbing I don't think I'd fly a large heli anymore. May he rest in peace and his family find some kind of closure. My heart is with them.

Most people simply accept that a big heli can dismember and kill and live with the risk. We've known that all along so that picture isn't likely to change many minds.

[Atomic Skull]

Originally Posted by Jim Ryan

I'm old enough to remember the old drivers' ed films. For you younger guys, back in the 60s and 70s a fixture of HS drivers' ed class was showing the student drivers gory films from accident scenes, including decapitations, car fires, etc. The idea was to scare some sense into 16 year olds, who by definition think they're bullet-proof. They stopped doing it in part because there was no evidence that it did any good.

This is pretty much exactly the effect it had:

Beavis and Butthead Safe Driving (0 min 27 sec)

[Atomic Skull]

Originally Posted by ic-racer

In terms of other sports, 3D RC Helicopter piloting is in its infancy. In many other sports, time and experience have revealed activities that are dangerous.

The RC Helicopter sport is still learning.

This is dangerous to both the pilot and anyone around the circle. Makes lawn darts seem like a kids game.

One thing I worry about is the FAA deciding that big helis are simply too inherently dangerous to be flown as recreational machines and outright banning them except as FAA certified airframes with mandatory performance restrictions in place (e.g. mechanical limits of collective pitch range) and special training required for operation.

Don't think this could happen? Sale of lawn darts is now banned because they were deemed "too dangerous" and it's even against the law to give away an existing set.