common in PCM radios.
I couldn’t determine if it was set to low
throttle from the video, but it was apparent
to me that the throttle position would have
had little effect on the speed of the aircraft
at impact. The model was in a shallow dive
from when control was lost until impact; it
would not have slowed appreciably even
with the engine shut down.
This was a terrible accident and I’m
sure it will have a lasting effect on RC
aeromodeling throughout the world. We
need to learn as much as we can from this
tragedy to avoid a similar occurrence in the
future.
While retarding the throttle with failsafe
would—or perhaps did—have little
effect on this accident, there is little
question that setting the fail-safe to retard
the throttle would be the prudent thing to
do in most failure situations.
In any situation, a fail-safe system
cannot be expected to work any better than
the pilot’s familiarity with its operation and
settings. If you are not completely familiar
with the fail-safe features of any of your
radios, it would be prudent to read the
instruction manual and become familiar
with them.
Till next month. MA
y now, I am sure that most AMA
members have heard about the
tragic accident that happened in
Hungary that resulted in the deaths of two
spectators. A number of AMA members
have suggested that AMA conduct a full
inquiry and report the findings to the
membership.
That concept is full of issues that are
difficult to resolve. In the first place, this
accident happened in Eastern Europe so our
access to information is limited, but the
issue goes well beyond that.
The question becomes whether the sport
is better served by talking more about this
tragic accident or discussing it less; that
isn’t an easy question to answer. I decided
that some explanation of what happened
would have more positive elements than
negative, so I will outline the situation as I
have been able to determine it.
I have had contact with aero club
officers in Germany and Hungary. The
accident occurred during an air show in
Hungary. I believe the site was a typical
European aero club where full-scale
aircraft—primarily gliders—and model
airplanes are part of the shared club.
The person involved was an
experienced German RC pilot, known by
many as a top-notch air-show flier. He had
taken all of the reasonable steps to ensure
that there was no radio interference,
including flying a test aircraft at the site for
a few days before the event.
President’s Perspective
AMA President Dave Brown
B
The accident occurred when the model,
a Giant Scale biplane weighing
approximately 44 pounds, went out of
control and crashed into the spectator area.
The airplane was flying from the right after
performing a turn-around maneuver when
the pilot lost control of it. The model rolled,
veered to the left, and crashed into the
spectator area.
From when the pilot apparently lost
control until impact could be measured in
single-digit seconds. Unfortunately, the
model hit and killed a husband and wife
who were taken to the air show by their
adult children.
After initial investigation of the accident
by the authorities, it was determined that a
broadcast station had transmitted signals on
the frequency on which the model was
flying, effectively shooting the aircraft
down. The investigation is ongoing so this
may not be the final ruling.
Could that have happened in the United
States? The crash and the fatalities could
certainly happen, but the apparent cause is
highly unlikely to occur here. We are
fortunate that we don’t share our specific
frequencies with any other services, but the
accident brings home the need to be very
careful with transmitter impound since
another RC transmitter could cause this
type of control loss.
This tragedy again brings up the
subject of fail-safe. I have not been able
to determine with any authority whether
the model involved in this accident was
equipped with fail-safe or how it may
have been set. I was able to find a crude
video of the accident, and after careful
review I think that the model probably
did have some form of fail-safe, which is
Dave Brown
AMA president
[email protected]
Could that have happened in the United States?
M i s s i o n S t a t e m e n t
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is a world-class association of modelers organized for the purpose of promotion,
development, education, and advancement of modeling activities.
The Academy provides leadership, organization, competition, communication, protection, representation, recognition,
education, and scientific/technical development to its members.
August 2006 5
08sig1.QXD 6/22/06 12:36 PM Page 5
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/08
Page Numbers: 5
