T E A M
Killer toy plane
2010/03/02
By Alang Bendahara, Adrian David and Mazlinda Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR: An electrical engineer was killed in a bizarre accident after he was struck on the head by a radio-controlled plane which had gone out of control in Bandar Saujana Putra on Sunday morning.
The China-made plane, which can travel up to 200kph, struck Mus-tapha Osman on the right side of his head, causing massive bleeding.
Mustapha, 48, slipped into a coma before succumbing to his injury at Putrajaya Hospital the same day.
A group of model plane enthusiasts, who flew their planes at the same spot, said this was the first time a fatal accident was reported although there had been cases of model aircraft causing injuries.
The radio-controlled plane enthusiasts call the spot the "Saujana Putra Airfield".
The owner of the "killer plane", a 49-year-old company director, was questioned by police and is now being investigated for causing death by negligence.
The freak accident occurred about 11am when Mustapha was preparing his plane for take-off.
He was said to be squatting on the ground when the plane struck him.
The owner of the "killer plane" was standing barely six metres away and was believed to have lost control of his Richmodel Quickie 40 RC airplane.
At the time of the incident, there were more than 20 radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts in the area, which is next to the Elite Highway. The place is normally packed on weekends and on public holidays.
Kuala Langat police chief Superintendent Mohd Radzi Ishak said they have recorded a statement from the managing director and had confiscated his RM1,000 RC plane.
The managing director is from Petaling Jaya and was believed to have told police that because of its speed, he lost control of the plane while making a turn.
2010/03/02
By Alang Bendahara, Adrian David and Mazlinda Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR: An electrical engineer was killed in a bizarre accident after he was struck on the head by a radio-controlled plane which had gone out of control in Bandar Saujana Putra on Sunday morning.
The China-made plane, which can travel up to 200kph, struck Mus-tapha Osman on the right side of his head, causing massive bleeding.
Mustapha, 48, slipped into a coma before succumbing to his injury at Putrajaya Hospital the same day.
A group of model plane enthusiasts, who flew their planes at the same spot, said this was the first time a fatal accident was reported although there had been cases of model aircraft causing injuries.
The radio-controlled plane enthusiasts call the spot the "Saujana Putra Airfield".
The owner of the "killer plane", a 49-year-old company director, was questioned by police and is now being investigated for causing death by negligence.
The freak accident occurred about 11am when Mustapha was preparing his plane for take-off.
He was said to be squatting on the ground when the plane struck him.
The owner of the "killer plane" was standing barely six metres away and was believed to have lost control of his Richmodel Quickie 40 RC airplane.
At the time of the incident, there were more than 20 radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts in the area, which is next to the Elite Highway. The place is normally packed on weekends and on public holidays.
Kuala Langat police chief Superintendent Mohd Radzi Ishak said they have recorded a statement from the managing director and had confiscated his RM1,000 RC plane.
The managing director is from Petaling Jaya and was believed to have told police that because of its speed, he lost control of the plane while making a turn.