CRayner
Fatalities from model aircraft
Regrettably there have been numerous injuries and some deaths from operation of model aircraft. Admittedly I know of none from a collision between a model and a commercial passenger operation, but there certainly was a death of a hang glider pilot in southern England 20 or 30 years ago. We should not be complacent about this.
FYI almost all injuries are self inflicted by the model pilots. Ask me how I know.
The fatality you are referring to came about on a slope shared by hang gliders and model aircraft. By mutual agreement different ends of the slope were used and there was no conflict. Regrettably the hang glider pilot did not abide by this agreement and encroached on the model flying area. A model on approach to the landing spot collided with the hang glider, the metal wing joiner in the model severing a flying wire on the hang glider. The wing collapsed and the hang glider pilot fell to his death. The subsequent enquiry cleared the model aircraft pilot of any blame.