An 88-year-old Russian man known for building his own aircraft has died after a tragic attempt to take off in a homemade helicopter ended in disaster.
The incident occurred in the Omutninsky district of the Kirov Region in western Russia. According to a statement from the Volga Region Transport Prosecutor’s Office, the self-built helicopter began to fall apart during engine startup on Thursday.
"During engine startup, while still on the ground and as the engine power was building, the main rotor blades detached," local emergency services told Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. The malfunction caused serious injuries to the man, born in 1937, who was rushed to the Omutninsky District Hospital but died hours later.
The aircraft was reportedly unregistered, and authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
RIA Novosti identified the man as Vladimir Trapeznikov, a self-taught inventor and aviation enthusiast who had long dreamed of becoming a pilot. Though he spent his career as a driver for a logging company, Trapeznikov gained local recognition for his passion for flight and for building several flying machines over the years.
He constructed five aircraft in total and was even featured in a short film shown in a “Panorama” cinema and TV newsreel in 1985 after successfully flying a homemade airplane.
Trapeznikov’s death came as he attempted to launch his latest invention.
Across the globe, other aviation hobbyists have also captured public attention. In the UK, a man built a plane in his garden during the COVID-19 pandemic, while in Ethiopia, a man constructed a DIY aircraft over 10 years to fly to his wedding in 2015.
