Dear roc chat,
mike kramer has forwarded this email to you with the following message:
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National Association of Rocketry
21 November 2015
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Greetings,
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As I reported on the NAR Facebook page last Sunday, I regret to have to inform
you
that a fatal on-field rocketry accident occurred in California last Saturday. I
want to bring you up to speed on the status of our investigation.
When I made the first announcement, there were few details available. We have
since
been working to understand what happened, so that we may all learn from it and
prevent
it from happening again. Our Association has no standing in the matter except
as
concerned and experienced enthusiasts, but I've been in contact with law
enforcement
and witnesses and have a preliminary set of facts to share.
First, to the best of our knowledge, no NAR or TRA members were involved in this
incident, certainly not directly involved. No kids were involved, except,
unfortunately,
as witnesses.
The deceased, Mike Bentley, a very experienced adult Scout leader, was at an
annual
BSA Council-sponsored rocketry and camping event for multiple scout troops
called
Rocket Rave, which has been conducted for at least several years. During the
weekend,
scouts complete tasks required for their Space Exploration merit badge, which
requires
two model rocket launches. During the launches, it has also been common for
adults
to launch their own, larger rockets.
Around noon on Saturday, Mike engaged in a drag race with a second adult. Winds
were likely within limits, safe distances were at least close to being met, and
both rockets probably met the weight and power limits defined by the NAR Model
Rocket
Safety Code. The drag race was conducted from a dedicated area, to one side of
the
primary launch pads for the scouts to use to fly their conventional A through C
powered model rockets, and about two dozen people were in the immediate
vicinity.
Mike's rocket was powered by a small APCP motor; the other rocket was powered by
at least one, and possibly more, black powder motors. Both rockets launched;
while
Mike was watching his rocket, the other rocket arced over and came down
ballistically,
striking him in the face and causing severe injuries. Despite the best efforts
of
scouts, law enforcement, and medical professionals both at the scene and
afterwards,
his injuries were ultimately fatal.
We know that the rocket that struck Mike was about four feet long and four
inches
in diameter. It had a cardboard body tube and a plastic nose cone. We don't know
much else for sure. It is possible that the rocket was designed to fly on a
cluster
of motors, but at least one picture of the flight does not clearly show more
than
one motor firing. No parachute was deployed; none was seen at the accident site.
At least one report indicates the rocket was damaged prior to flight. We don't
know what motor(s) were used and whether they all ignited and functioned as
designed.
We don't know if applicable local laws were fully observed.
I do know that the investigating law enforcement authority is not pursuing a
criminal
investigation at this time. The lack of an investigation will likely leave
questions
unanswered for some time. We don't know if the rocket would have been allowed to
fly at a NAR launch; we can't definitively say whether the NAR safety code was
observed or not. We will continue to gather information to the best of our
ability,
and we'll pass on significant new findings to you.
Where does this leave us? We know that rocketry remains orders of magnitude more
safe than any other outdoor activity we can name, provided the safety codes
are
followed. But it is not without risks; the safety code is our primary means of
mitigating
those risks.
Everything in the safety codes is there for a reason, and I urge you to continue
to observe-and when prudent, exceed-their recommendations every time you fly.
* Do preflight inspections of every rocket. Be especially careful with complex
rockets.
Pay special attention to the recovery system.
* Tilt your launch guides away from the crowds: Plan to have good flights, but
also
plan for bad flights to end in safe places.
* Add to the safe distance standards when lots of observers are present.
* Make sure launch controllers and ignition methods are appropriate for the
motor(s)
being used.
* Have a spotter for every rocket in a drag race, near enough to the RSO to be
able
to get a warning out if necessary.
* Have people point at malfunctioning rockets if they see them.
* Make sure the crowd can hear the RSO.
* Confirm the stability of untested designs.
* If rockets are flying over spectators, stop and fix the problem.
* Offer to help people and groups who are just starting down the path that we
have
trod. Set a safe, positive, and helpful example.
Please consider contributing to Mike's memorial fund through his gofundme site
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=5nrfx9vab.0.6zxtx9vab.yrsg5kcab.0&r=3&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gofundme.com%2FMikeBentley].
I'll continue to keep you informed, so that we can learn what we can from this
unfortunate
accident, and be safer because of it.
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Sincerely,
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Ted Cochran
President, National Association of Rocketry
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