El Mirage accident and photos

[Tina]

At first I didn't really know if I should put these photos up for all to see? But then I starting thinking it would be a good teaching tool for those people out there that may not take gyros serious enough. YOU NEED TRAINING AND THE RIGHT MACHINE BEFORE TRYING TO FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Luca learned his lesson but I did here he has a benson with wood blades he may try to fly next

 

[Tina]

Here is the last photo after the burn.

 

[JRB549]

It takes a good long look at somethings before people let it sink in, this is not a game.

 

[barnstorm2]

I feel very sorry for him. All of that work and money and we would have been able to enjoy it if only he had the patience to take lessons and work with the gyro flying community.

That said, he paid a cheaper price for his lesson (that you need training) than some have.....


.

 

[iconnary]

Tina, was he wearing a helmet when the accident occurred? If so, what kind of helmet - open face, full face w/ chin guard?

Pictures like those make me wonder if I ought to be wearing my motorcycle gear when I fly, rather than shorts & t-shirt.

 

[M._Springer]

El Mirage accident pictures

El Mirage accident pictures

Tina, Regarding posting the accident photos...every gyro accident has a lesson to be learned for those who are receptive to learning. I think the pictures you posted here makes a very good lesson. I think posting them was a good thing to do.
Marion
www.msgyro.com

 

[karlbamforth]

He is a very lucky man, lets hope he/we all learn something here.
Next time it could be :rapture: :angel:

 

[Doug Riley]

When I was practicing with my first gyro back in 1973, I used Stormville Airport in southeastern NY state. A Bensen owned by a fellow named Andy White had crashed there few years before, killing Andy. The wreckage was dumped down behind a shed at the far end of the runway.

If your imagination needed a little help picturing the crash scene, the airport owner was happy to supply the gruesome details.

Probably kept teenage me from messing up.

 

[Harry_S.]

Very graphic...very profound...very educational and an eye opener to the people that think this is an easy way to fly without guidance or training.

Thank you Tina. Well done.

.

 

[Rehan K.Janjua]

Thank You TINA.

This is education and should be part of training to see what happens if one is careless, under trained or reluctant to get training.

Regards.
Rehan

 

[RockyMeLad]

Thanks, Tina.

Proves my observation. . .

Reality checks. . .
Often needed. . .
Seldom wanted!

 

[okikuma]

How long did it take for the paramedics and ambulance to arrive after the crash? The lake bed is at least 25 - 30 miles from the nearest hopsital in Victorville. Antelope Valley Hospital is farther away due west.

 

[Tina]

Tina, was he wearing a helmet when the accident occurred? If so, what kind of helmet - open face, full face w/ chin guard?

Pictures like those make me wonder if I ought to be wearing my motorcycle gear when I fly, rather than shorts & t-shirt.

Sorry it took me so long to reply to your question, but I had to ask around to see if any one knew what kind of helmet he had. Dave knew and said it was a bicycle helmet, like a plastic cap with styrofoam. Can you believe it :der:

 

[JByrd]

Hi Tina,

Is this a recent accident? I did not see a NTSB summary.

Ah - found the other thread. Very unfortunate.

Jim B.

 

[Tina]

How long did it take for the paramedics and ambulance to arrive after the crash? The lake bed is at least 25 - 30 miles from the nearest hopsital in Victorville. Antelope Valley Hospital is farther away due west.

I would say it was around 20 minutes, I was impressed they got there that soon.

Life flight helicopter was probably another 20 minutes later.

The FAA came around 3 hours later, that was most impressive of all. The FAA came in a helicopter, circled the crashed gyro, taking areal photos then landed and stayed around a hour.

They towed the gyro off, I would say a little over 4 hours after the accident. Dave and I went up to the crash site, to see these tow truck guys try and pick it up and pull it up the flat bed. It was a site to see, these two guys trying to get this wreckage on the flat bed, with out hurting them selves doing it. They had a heck of a time. At one point the wreckage almost took one of the drivers out, falling apart and almost landing on top of him. He managed to get away in time. I hope they did OK getting the wreckage off with out any more misshapes:wacko:

 

[dragonflyerthom]

Guys

One of the problems with getting old especially in aviation is we remember when we were young and our reflexes were lightning fast. The reflexes kept us out of trouble and harms way many many times.
Another problem with getting older is we think we know better than others about what we are doing. Dave or someone should have told him not to get that gyro over twenty MPH or it would leave the ground. Someone should have told him that the gyro needed to be set up and trimmed out before he even got into it.
There is no fool like an old fool.
Thanks for the lesson Tina. You really did good posting the pics.

 

[karlbamforth]

Guys

Dave or someone should have told him not to get that gyro over twenty MPH or it would leave the ground. Someone should have told him that the gyro needed to be set up and trimmed out before he even got into it.
.

That is not Dave's or anyone elses responsibility. It was his own responsibility.
Sure wherever possible we should advise and help, but ultimately it is the pilots responsibility to remain safe. Lets face it with the internet there is plenty of info availabe at the click of a button.

 

[dragonflyerthom]

Karl

I will have to not agree entirely with you on this. Sometimes it is good to stick our noses into a problem. We are our brothers keeper and this forum proves it.

 

[gyromike]

Dave or someone should have told him not to get that gyro over twenty MPH or it would leave the ground. Someone should have told him that the gyro needed to be set up and trimmed out before he even got into it.

From post #19 on this thread, El Mirage Accident?

"We tried to tell Luca, a Russian about 65, what he was doing was WRONG but we said that he knew what he has doing, He just would not listen. We all knew something bad was going to happen, but we just could not stop him."

 

[Tina]

Everyone that day took a turn and went up to Luca and told him, he is not ready! His machine is not ready! He should not even taxi till he has proper instruction!!!!

I think the only way anyone was going to stop this guy was to hog tie him down and take the keys away.

We all knew that day something bad was going to happen but could not stop it or stop this guy from doing what he wanted.

He took no advice about anything, he is a very stubborn Russian cowboy. He probably had people and government from is country telling him all his life what to do, so coming to America he was finally free. You can see that in him he had this kinda pride that would not listen to others, very very stubborn.

I just hope he learned something, and that is he should listen to others. I do think you can teach a old fool new respect once you got his attention.

Marion Springer has a good saying that I herad her say a time or two, and that is " If you do not have respect for the gyro the gyro will get your attention sooner or later" :director: