So it happened again, and it will continue to happen until people realize this technology is far from mature enough to be used for such tasks.
Aside from endangering peoples lives, the public opinion created from such incidents will be very damaging and contribute to overly restrictive UAV laws in the future.
Do not fly over people, especially crowds!
Original article with crash video:
http://www.ara.cat/viacatalana/Via-Catalana-Sagrada-Familia-assistents_3_994130598.html
English translation:
Comments
I think that Alberto may have identified the most probable, frequent source of negative reports about the evolving civilian drone industry.
The combination of complex products with multiple potential points of failure, insufficient knowledge and experience, and the desire for profit or recognition through recorded videos of events involving people is likely to cause more problems for all who see the positive applications of small aerial vehicles for civilian purposes.
I too have let my friends and family know that popular outdoor events may be also attended by something that can fall from the sky, and, if they happen to hear or see an aerial vehicle, to be aware that their risk of being hurt has increased. Maybe not by much, but by some degree. Enclosed props would help, but don't eliminate the risk of damage due to a falling or flying vehicle.
Unfortunately, news about one negative event is usually more sensational and long-lasting than news about several positive events, or news about months or years of effort by many to do good things in the world.
@John, Well said!
I have seen a few media companies in my city, (in Spain), using hexas and octos over the crowds on popular festivities and music/sports live events, along the last year. As far as I know they are not RC people using their knowledge for profit, they are media people using a rather new tecnology and learning on the go. I wonder wich insurance companies are taking part in this, and if they actually know what their clients are doing.
I'm in this hobby for almost two years now, and I still drive far from my house to a hill where there's no house nor people around.
At least my friends and family now know they should find a safe spot whenever they see a multirotor flying over their heads. In fact, I just explain them my experiences and the experiences of people writing here, and they determine it's better to be carefull.
Looks like the "controlled crash", consistent with switching from alt-hold to stabilise while the throttle stick is below hover, on a heay load and low battery. Even at 100% throttle, there isn't enough power to get the props spinning to overcome the momentum of the fall.
Believe me, I've had those...in an empty field mind you! Having one of these over a crowd...gahd, that is literally the stuff of nightmares for safety-aware operators.
Re: the girl - he does at least "appear" to shut the throttle once he knows he's going to crash. It's a split second observation though, and I could be wrong. Landing on freewheel props would cut down on injuries significantly. Still, if I was this poor girl's father I would still be positively apoplectic about this.
I am glad the little girl that rubs her head was not hurt that much. It is a miracle that there appear to be just a few browses on the hurt people. He could have killed people for the same price this oblivious fool. I would like to know the root cause(s) of this incident so that we could learn something ( besides the stupidity to fly above people)
I once had a failure at the self-determined boundary edge of my field, and as I did the walk of shame - well, run actually - all I could think about was whether I had landed on the (minor) road on the boundary edge*. There could be cars...walkers...horses...
That cold sweat moment lives with me to this day, and I've been even more cautious ever since. Frankly, this flight is the stuff of nightmares for me.
* I had actually fallen well within my boundary, but it didn't stop me going demented with worry on the run over.
I think, one of the main dangers at the moment are rather ruthless commercial and media users. The hexa in the US was a camera ship, covering an event and this octo also looked pretty much like a camera ship and was probably covering whatever drove so many people to the streets.
Reporters being not very squeamish when it comes to getting the best story, especially, the best pictures, is not really new. The way from there to ignoring a battery warning and thinking "well, a few secs still go" is IMHO not very far.
And I am pretty sure that if some media land their camera ship in a crowd, the fact that is was a media ship wouldn't be emphasized very much by other media...
Maybe the FAA should have a special eye on regulating media's use of drones when they write up their rules for commercial use of drones. The last thing, the world needs is (Yellow-) Press drones buzzing around everywhere and searching for some sensational pictures... I worked >10 years in ambulance and it was hard enough then to keep media off the scenes to protect the privacy of patients... Imagine, media camera ships hovering over every traffic accident taking closeups of the victims...
Clearly, again, a case of ignorant users of a technology employing that technology in an inappropriate setting.
This is only more fuel for the insurance companies, lawyers, and legislators.
I am glad to see the child was not cut or otherwise injured.
-=Doug
I'm glad that I directed my instincts to sub-100gram copter building: http://dalybulge.blogspot.co.uk/
I'm also building a 2gram osd that will have failsafe notices on screen.
I always have felt happier knowing that my copter weighs less than a chocolate bar, which barely makes it consequential during an oops moment.
Ohh no... this happened right where I live. I am 100% sure incompetence is the culprit.
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