Remote control helicopters and airplanes have grown in popularity over the past decade, even prompting the NYC Parks Department to sanction Calvert Vaux Park in Gravesend as a haven for flying remote-controlled (RC) aircraft. Unfortunately, few realized that this hobby brings a grave danger until a fatal accident in Brooklyn.
A 19-year-old Queens man was flying his RC helicopter when he lost control and it flew into himself. The chopper blades, which may travel as fast as 250 mph, severed his neck, instantly killing him. Horrified RC enthusiasts witnessed the gruesome accident.
“The guy was flying the helicopter and it was out of control and it chopped off his neck. It decapitated him,” said Joseph Greco, an eyewitness.
New York City parks are frequently the site of freak accidents, such as the falling of tree branches onto pedestrians, but this death is in a bizarre category of accident that has little precedent. Only one known RC aircraft death had occurred in the U.S. before this Brooklyn accident.
When an unusual death occurs, there may be legal recourse. An experienced New York City wrongful death lawyer can help a victim’s family examine their legal rights following such a tragedy.
Source: New York CBS Local, “Man Dies In Horrific Remote-Controlled Helicopter Accident In NYC Park,” Sep. 5, 2013
