129
submitted 4 weeks ago by cm0002@lemmy.world to c/world@quokk.au

An 88-year-old Russian man, who gained local fame for building his own aircraft, has died after attempting to take off in a homemade helicopter.

The man, a resident of the Omutninsky district of western Russia’s Kirov Region, attempted the flight in the self-built aircraft on Thursday, the Volga Region Transport Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release Friday.

However, the helicopter self-destructed during take-off, it added.

The aircraft failed to lift off and, instead, “during engine startup, while still on the ground and as the engine power was building, the main rotor blades detached. This caused injuries to the pilot, born in 1937,” the district emergency services told Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Friday.

top 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] general_kitten@sopuli.xyz 43 points 4 weeks ago

considering how people that age usually die, a homemade helicopter accident sounds rather preferable to most of the alternatives.

[-] Almonds@mander.xyz 29 points 4 weeks ago

I knew a guy who built little one person helicopters as a hobby. He bought kits for that, though

Fun fact: sometimes he would take his pet skunk up into the sky with him

[-] lectricleopard@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

Living his best life. A man worth emulating.

[-] runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 4 weeks ago

An absolute Renaissance man.

[-] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

more of us should be like that man

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 12 points 4 weeks ago

There was an old guy, former aerospace engineer, that came to our shop to get his plane blueprints reproduced for sale. LOL, he made bank after his story hit an aviation mag.

He's still at it!

https://www.thatchercx4.com/

Surprised he's only 75. Looked older than that 12-years ago. Weird. Not sure he hasn't died and still has his name on the company.

[-] 9point6@lemmy.world 11 points 4 weeks ago

Well fuck me, no one ever told me there was gore when you read between the lines

[-] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 4 weeks ago

Amateur mistake, everyone knows you always let someone else (preferably a dumb friend) test your products first.

[-] Bubs12@lemmy.cafe 4 points 4 weeks ago

All of his dumb friends, surely died years ago.

[-] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

or went to ukraine, and got liberated by drones

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 10 points 4 weeks ago

That looks like a gyrocopter, not a helicopter. Which is something a hobbyist could plausibly build by themselves.

[-] piccolo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 weeks ago
[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Guess you're right. That thing looks like a veritable death trap.

[-] swemg@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I think you just need a rotor part and a metal part. And a toolbox

[-] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 10 points 4 weeks ago

Dude. What a fucking mad man. And I love it. That's how I want to go out. (building an unbelievably complex piece of machinery in my back yard. I'm thinking my own personal tower of doom?!)

[-] Eh_I@lemmy.world 8 points 4 weeks ago

At that age, why not?

[-] njm1314@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

There are way worse ways to go I guess

[-] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 4 points 4 weeks ago

better than getting droned trying to invade your former ally I guess.

[-] jerkface@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Death by misadventure. That's what I hope gets carved on my tombstone, too. But I would have built an autogyro.

[-] markovs_gun@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago

One of the better ways to die at that age, especially in a country where the average male life expectancy is 68 years

this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
129 points (100.0% liked)

World News

601 readers
447 users here now

Rules:
Be a decent person, don't post hate.

Other Great Communities:

Rules

Be excellent to each other

founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS