Model Helicopter Struck The 19-Year-Old In The Head During A Flight

A New York teenager was fatally injured Thursday when the RC helicopter he was flying struck him, cutting off the top of his head. Roman Pirozek was pronounced dead at the scene by law enforcement officials.

Pirozek was flying his model aircraft at Calvert Vaux Park, near Shore Parkway and Bay 44th Street in the Gravesend neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY according to police. A blog from the Wall Street Journal cites an unnamed official who said that Pirozek "was known to be aggressive in his flying and often executed tricks." He was reportedly performing such a stunt when he was struck by the aircraft.  Pirozek's father was with him at the time of the accident.

The 19-year-old had been vice president of Seaview Rotary Wings, a model helicopter flying club based in Brooklyn, and by all accounts, flying model helicopters was his passion. He posted videos of many of his flights on YouTube. His sister said he was employed as a cargo handler for an airline.

The park where the accident occurred is sanctioned by the city as a model aircraft field as well as by the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

(Image from Facebook)

FMI: YouTube Channel