A Young Inventor Created a DIY Helicopter. It Killed Him

Relatedly, we can't recommend building a DIY helicopter from videos on YouTube. There are plenty of companies, selling helicopter kits, not to mention legitimate textbooks on the flight dynamics of helicopters. While it isn't impossible to build a helicopter by watching YouTube videos, it's important to understand that the video media economy is primarily dedicated to maximizing views and monetizing videos — and isn't intended as a replacement for a substantial education, whether via private study, military training, or a legitimate university or college course.

Understandably, Ibrahim's DIY helicopter was a colossal effort that took Ibrahim two years, after which he had all the parts he needed to build a DIY helicopter. His friend, Sachin Ubale, said the now-deceased man manufactured the prototype of a new, single-seater helicopter using steel pipes, in addition to a Maruti 800 engine, according to the local report. Ubale also said that Ibrahim intended to debut his DIY helicopter to the public, on the occasion of India's Independence Day. But on Tuesday night, Ibrahim decided to execute a final test-run of his DIY creation. And, while his friends gathered to see him lift into the night sky, Ibrahim started the engine.

Seconds later, tragedy struck.

The DIY helicopter pilot was not wearing a helmet

As depicted in the video (linked above, we won't link twice), the blades of the tail rotor snapped free, with pieces flailing into the main rotor blades, which in turn caused the main rotor blades to snap, sending a piece of metal into the cockpit, where it hit Ibrahim at a fatal velocity. "Ismail wanted to exhibit the helicopter to the public on Independence Day this year and so he decided to test the flying machine near his workshop," said Ubale to the local news source. "On Tuesday night, he occupied the pilot seat and started the engine as some of his friends watched in awe. Even before anyone could understand what was happening, a piece of the broken blade slashed Ismail's throat and he collapsed to the ground."

"He used to test the functioning of the chopper very often," added Ubale. "Earlier, he had been successful in lifting the helicopter 5 feet above the ground. It was his final trial on Tuesday." It seems that sadly, Ibrahim did not wear a helmet or headphones during this test run of the DIY helicopter, which are just two of many, many safety protocols any pilot must take to avoid taking a serious risk on a prototype vehicle of any kind. But, even with a helmet, he probably would not have survived, since the blade hit his throat, not his head. After the injury, Ibrahim bled profusely as his body slumped out of the cockpit. His friends rushed him to the hospital, but, unfortunately, it was too late. We can't say for sure whether the incident was due to an engineering error or a freak accident, but this is surely a tragedy for all of us to remember.