Don't lose your head!

[Indiana_Jones]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5380...ing-hovercraft

A 40-year-old Auckland man has been decapitated in front of family members while testing a kitset hovercraft he built, police say.

He died on Muriwai beach on Sunday after being hit by the propeller he was checking, police crash investigator Sergeant Colin Nuttall said.

The man's partner was believed to have seen it but she is yet to give a statement.

Nuttall said they were still unsure of what had happened and they had called in an engineer to examine the machine.

He said they believed it was the first time the man had used the machine.

Conditions had been fine and calm at the beach.

"We will be talking with the family; some of them were present on the beach."

It was not known whether the man had experience with hovercrafts and where he had purchased the kitset. Police would report to the coroner.

"At the moment there are no regulations. You cannot register hovercraft on the road and they do not have warrant of fitness. So you can build them and operate them off the road without rules,'' Nuttall said.

He said Maritime New Zealand was also involved in the investigation.

Police have not released the name of the victim.




Bugger!

-Indy

[willytheekid]

Just finished reading that....poor wife!

[NordieBoy]

Maritime NZ involved?

Why?

[oneofsix]

Maritime NZ involved?

Why?

because hovercraft are seen as boats

[Indiana_Jones]

Good question, I guess because here in NZ we donno what to do with hovercraft? something we don't normally use, right?

More of a boat if anything I guess?

-Indy

[Devil]

Something that jumped out on me was this quote:
"At the moment there are no regulations. You cannot register hovercraft on the road and they do not have warrant of fitness. So you can build them and operate them off the road without rules,'' Nuttall said.

But hold on... the beach is classed as a road. They insist we have to have rego and warrent to drive/ride on it. But he's speaking as though it isn't a road, thats why he had his hovercraft out there.

When is a road not a road and vice versa?

[Indiana_Jones]

Depends if they get to fine you or not?

-Indy

[nodrog:Me]

When is a road not a road and vice versa?

when you hoover above it?

[NordieBoy]

because hovercraft are seen as boats

Good question, I guess because here in NZ we donno what to do with hovercraft? something we don't normally use, right?

More of a boat if anything I guess?

-Indy

But it was on the beach, which is a public road...

[Indiana_Jones]

But it was on the beach, which is a public road...

I wouldn't count the beach as a pubic road, but I'm guessing the Five-O's do when it suits them?

They should of given his lifeless body a ticket them for not having a Licence or WOF lol

-Indy

[oneofsix]

But it was on the beach, which is a public road...

Where on the beach? above the mean high tide mark or below it? and even if he was in a paddock I think you would find maritime NZ being involved based on type of craft. Just like its still a road crash when someone drives into the harbour.

[Indiana_Jones]

Where on the beach? above the mean high tide mark or below it? and even if he was in a paddock I think you would find maritime NZ being involved based on type of craft. Just like its still a road crash when someone drives into the harbour.

Or the 'serious crash' people even if it's happened on a race track and not a public road?

-Indy

[White trash]

Or the 'serious crash' people even if it's happened on a race track and not a public road?

-Indy

Already explained the SCU's involvment in race track crashes. With every accidental death, there's a coroners inquest to determine the exact cause. SCU are skilled in piecing together, from wreckage etc, what led to the crash and therefore the cause of death. Coroner uses this information in their report and findings.

[Indiana_Jones]

Already explained the SCU's involvment in race track crashes. With every accidental death, there's a coroners inquest to determine the exact cause. SCU are skilled in piecing together, from wreckage etc, what led to the crash and therefore the cause of death. Coroner uses this information in their report and findings.

Makes sense

-Indy

[Banditbandit]

Something that jumped out on me was this quote:
"At the moment there are no regulations. You cannot register hovercraft on the road and they do not have warrant of fitness. So you can build them and operate them off the road without rules,'' Nuttall said.

But hold on... the beach is classed as a road. They insist we have to have rego and warrent to drive/ride on it. But he's speaking as though it isn't a road, thats why he had his hovercraft out there.

When is a road not a road and vice versa?

And if it's a road then how about some pedestrian crossings for people wanting to go for a swim ..