DIY flight turns fatal: 88-year-old Russian inventor killed in self-built helicopter; blades detach during takeoff

An 88-year-old man from Russia has died after attempting to take off in a homemade helicopter that came apart during engine startup.

Vladimir Trapeznikov, a resident of the Omutninsky district in the Kirov Region, was known locally for building flying machines despite having no formal training.


The incident occurred on Thursday, according to the Volga region transport prosecutor’s office.

Emergency services told Russian news agency RIA Novosti, “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,” as reported by CNN.

Trapeznikov was taken to the Omutninsky District Hospital, but died hours later. The helicopter was unregistered, and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A self-taught inventor, Trapeznikov had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood. He worked as a driver for a logging company but spent his spare time building aircraft.

His successful flight in a homemade airplane earned him a spot in a 1985 short film featured in the “Panorama” cinema and TV newsreel, reported CNN.

Over the years, he built a total of five aircraft. His final creation, a homemade helicopter, led to the fatal accident.

Trapeznikov’s story is part of a broader tradition of aviation enthusiasts attempting flight with self-made aircraft. In the UK, a man built a plane in his garden during the coronavirus pandemic.

In Ethiopia, another man spent 10 years studying aviation and two years constructing a DIY plane to fly to his wedding in 2015.