Sunday, August 3, 2025 - 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
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