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Safety - RC Helis are not toys > Got too lucky this past saturday!!
 
 
HeliJay
Heliman
Location: Huntersville, NC

Spring like weather and my friend's little kid made me feel like i need to hover as i am still a beginner.All set i started the heli on my lawn and was trying to hover and was happy to see the kid filled with joy!!

I landed the heli after a brief hover and was planning on the second hover when the heli stopped responding!!!I throttle was increasing slowly and the heli started to get light on its skids...I just got PD off!!

Everything was working but for the throttle.I tried to stop the blade using my hands pressed firmly on the button but the speed was too high.The only other thing i could do to stop my heli from hurting itself and others was to pull the fuel line.I lay flat on the ground and crawled a bit under the heli...i could hear the blades swishing above my head....i pulled the fuel line and the heli stopped.
the reason for the heli not responding was the nut on the throttle linkage had flown off ... My mistake i should have checked it and it would have cost me $600 plus maybe my head or the kids life.It was very risky to do that.If the heli had fallen onto its side when i pulled the fuel line i would have lost my face or at least my right eye as i could see the rotating blades thru' the corner of my eye....

Folks....i got very lucky and thank GOD for it .Please keep this in mind and check all the fasteners after every flight...lady luck is not a frequent visitor!!

thanks, and GOD bless us all

Jay
12-18-2002 Over year old.
 
 
JCadwell
Key Veteran
Location: Richland WA/ Morro Bay, CA

I've had a heli do that too. A more appropriate response could have been to use negative pitch, and let the heli pull itself into the ground to keep the headspeed under control. Just let the tank burn out. You did what you had to do, but there are other options. Glad you got it back in one piece, and nobody got hurt. Any helicopter you break is going to be cheaper than hurting yourself or anybody else.

Thanks, John Cadwell
12-18-2002 Over year old.
 
 
BigRob
Veteran
Location: Long Beach, CA

Holy crap!

Glad you didn't get hurt.

A guy at my local field had somehwat the same thing happen with his Freya.

The flight pack died and it started to run away. He tried to slide underneath the blades (easily pushing 1900+ rpm) and hold the heli down trhough skids using his arm.

Right before he could get his arms over the skids it took off 30 feet into the sky and started coming down fast!!! From my perspective it looked as thought the heli was going to slam down upon him. Luckily it hit 15 feet away. Shrapnell got him in the arms and had to go to the hospital for stitches if I'm correct. Almost totaleld the Freya.

Most people say that they hate seeing crashes but wouldn't want to miss one. I know, I'd never ever want to see something like this ever again! I've had nightmares because of this incident.


The one......
the only...
The BigRob
12-18-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
MPA
Elite Veteran
Location: Australia

Hi Jay

Luck ?
God ?

If they where both technical factors the nut would never have fallen off but it did.
And that was an act of or lack of service only.

I think what happened is you evaluated the situation and acted to recover it without panicking which is important for anyone to learn from, keep a cool head and think your way out of trouble.

Many others have done all sort o nasties wehn this happens and have scars to tell of it but you got away with none buy no luck or accident.

Dave
12-18-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Doug
Elite Veteran
Location: Naples Florida....

Why does it always start with " i started the heli on my lawn "

First member of Member of Bearings Anonymous
12-18-2002 Over year old.
 
 
MPA
Elite Veteran
Location: Australia

Quote 
Why does it always start with " i started the heli on my lawn "


Because no one would admit to starting their heli on the coffee table

"I didnt do it, nobody saw anything, nobody can prove a thing"
(Bart Simpson)
12-18-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
charly
Heliman
Location: xenia, ohio

Good come back, MPA
12-19-2002 Over year old.
 
 
SAL
Veteran
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada

[Post Edited]

My comments were unfounded, and more importantly improper.

Edited: Jan 09/03


.
12-20-2002 Over year old.
 
 
BigRob
Veteran
Location: Long Beach, CA

Grow Up Sal

He already realized the mistake after the fact.

God forbid that during hightened situations, some people may panic, not think and do stoooopid things.

Unfortunately, HeliJay realized the fact after the incident and voiced the error in a public forum as a warning to other pilots. No one deserves a response like that

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.... and you've given a lot of other people a very bad opinion of yourself.


The one......
the only...
The BigRob
12-20-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SAL
Veteran
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Like I said 'you can argue with me til your blue in the face'

But I guess this is why this whole topic was setup by Mark, to make us all aware of the dangers, my apologies, but it does make me angry!!!

I seen one beginner try the same thing mentioned, and I was ready to kick his A$$, telling me to lighten up is one thing, but when I post a topic in the future, about how this one fellow lost an eye because he was stupid, I don't think you can argue with me.

Sorry HeliJay, shouldn't have lashed out like that, safe flying and Merry Christmas to everyone

[color=red]SAL[/color]
12-20-2002 Over year old.
 
 
HeliJay
Heliman
Location: Huntersville, NC

thanks Rob for the kind words i really needed them...Sal you are right about it ....but i just did it and got lucky i will never do it again.I think Rob got the idea of me narrating this story anyway...

Jay
12-20-2002 Over year old.
 
 
turbocivic4
Senior Heliman
Location: Hawaii Maui

so

So what is the proper scenario to solve the problem with a heli that is not responding?
01-10-2003 Over year old.
 
 
HeliJay
Heliman
Location: Huntersville, NC

solution

1. allow it to crash... move people away from the place.

2.if on ground and jumping around.....wait till it runs out of fuel...which is too much time for me...

3.don't do what i did its not worth so much as your eye, nose or face.
01-10-2003 Over year old.
 
 
Stet
Elite Veteran
Location: Long Beach CA

I keep a 5' pole with a hook on the end of it in my truck for just such situations. The idea is you reach under the disk, hook the fuel line and twist to pinch it off or pull it off.

After the Long Beach incident where my friend slid under the heli to shut it off, only to get cut badly, I showed my "kill stick" to an another experienced pilot. He said he wouldn't even use that method, noting he'd be nowhere close to a running and out of control heli.

Whether I use it will probably depend on how stable the other functions are and only after a great deal of thought. Helis can be repaired or replaced. Bad injuries could change your whole life.

Never go under the disk, I'm glad you got away with it unscathed.

I guess if it was really looking bad, you might have thrown a lawn chair or something else into the disk.
01-17-2003 Over year old.
 
 
Ben74
Senior Heliman
Location: Long Beach, CA

hmm, i don't know about the lawn chair. shrapnel could come flying off that heli like a grenade. i once saw a 60 sized heli crash, and one blade tip broke off and flew 100ft across the field. if someone had been standing in it's way, they would have had a nice hole in them.

i would just run like hell if the heli was out of control
02-14-2003 Over year old.
 
 
Eddi E. aus G.
Senior Heliman
Location: Gerlingen. Germany.

Hey guys, you must be kiddin' ... I once saw one of my boy scouts age 14 grab behind his fixed wing model to get his transmitter and cut his arm badly on the idle running prop. 1st aid to contain the heavy bleeding and speed run to the nearest hospital for stitching included. No fun at all.
If I imagine one crawling under the running rotor to play with the partly covered parts of the heli ... and what he would look like when the blades weighing 200 g each and turning at say 1500 rpm (I believe you all can calculate the approx. speed and weight the blades have then) hit him into the arm or the head ... absolutly no fun at all either. Loosing "only" an eye that way could be called luck also.
Otherwise I'd like to see one lawn chair or a 5' pole hitting the fan -- from a safe distance and witch a camcorder at hand.
Don't you read your manuals, especially the paragraphs sounding like "never try drying your pet dog in the microwave oven"??
NO OFFENSE MEANT!
I only wonder how you're able to discuss this near-suicide this seriously and dryly...

Eddi E.
www.graf-eckstein.de
02-19-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
nexusluver
Heliman
Location: oak ridge tn

staying cool..

I had my throttle push rod come off.The little concept 30 went to full throttle..I put in negative pitch and used my radio antanne to close the throttle..It was scarrrrry..Dangerous but you did a fine job..
04-25-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

Maybe heli owners should carry a baseball bat with them to the field to defend themselves from runaway helis

just what came to mind (feeble as it may be)
04-26-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Twobeers
Key Veteran
Location: Toronto, Canada

Another thing to be mindfull of. The small screw that the carburator barrel pivots on, it will fall out if not locktited (blue.) Unfortunately the engine has to be removed in most cases to get at this screw. Locktite it or it will fall out sooner than later.

I lost my infamous tag line.
04-26-2003 Over year old.
 
 
Hoagie1
Veteran
Location: Redmond, WA

is there such thing as a throttle spring back?

wouldn't it be a good idea for heli engines to have a spring to pull back the throttle arm to engine cut in these cases? Of course it would be strong enough to move the needle, and you would need a stronger servo. It seems like an easy thing to engineer in...
-Andy
04-26-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
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Safety - RC Helis are not toys > Got too lucky this past saturday!!
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