Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Rough landing: AeroMobil’s flying car prototype crashes after test flight tailspin

Alexander Kalogianni
By

aeromobil flying car prototype crash lands during test flight aeromobile 3 0 rendering
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Like the aviators of old, flying car pioneer AeroMobil is learning the hard way that those who defy gravity can often be met with heavy-handed retribution. In testing its latest prototype, the flying car gave up the “flying” part mid-test, sending it crashing back to earth.

The flight took place this past weekend, when company co-founder Stefan Klein took the compact flying machine on a test run, during the course of which he ran into trouble, and lost control of the craft.

Recommended Videos

According to a local Slovakian news publication, witnesses at the airport where the test flight took place saw the AeroMobil 3.0 go into a tailspin, prompting the pilot to deploy the aircraft’s ballistic parachute system at around 900 feet. The ‘chutes allowed Klein to survive without serious injury a nasty wreck that ended in a crunching impact.

AeroMobil 3.0 Crash Landing
NITRA.SME.SK
Related

We’ve mentioned the aircraft before, when the 3.0 version was revealed just before the new year. The AeroMobil 3.0 is, like most of the current vehicles gunning for “flying car” status, more of a folding plane. A four-cylinder Rotax 912 light airplane engine keeps it going on the road and in the air, able to achieve 124 mph in flight and around 99 mph on the ground.

AeroMobil 3.0 Crash Landing
NITRA.SME.SK

AeroMobil hasn’t stated what exactly happened, only saying that Klein encountered “an unexpected situation” before having to crash land. Thankfully, he was able to walk away from the accident on his own power, going to the hospital to be checked out, and being discharged shortly thereafter. AeroMobil will be going through the flight recorder data to find out just what happened and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

The vehicle/aircraft is mangled, but salvageable, and a statement from the company indicated that product development will continue after the damaged parts are replaced. They also view the incident as just another part of the R&D process, omelet-making requiring the occasional broken egg and all that. Once the AeroMobil is patched up, it’ll be pressed back into test-flight service, taking us one step closer to a future of personal flying craft.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Alexander Kalogianni
Alexander Kalogianni
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…
Watch as Sony starts to test its Vision-S electric car on European roads
sony begins road testing vision s electric car prototype

Sony introduced its first car, the Vision-S, as a futuristic prototype at CES 2020. Many tech companies talk about branching out into the automotive industry, but Sony stepped in quietly and without notice, beating even Apple to the punch. Not one to rest on its laurels, it has started putting the electric sedan through its paces in Europe.

Building a concept car is difficult and expensive, but making one that runs, drives, stops, and can be legally driven on European roads increases the challenge exponentially. Sony didn't choose the easiest location in which to begin testing the Vision-S on public roads, either. It let the prototype loose in Austria, so test drivers need to deal with narrow mountain roads, headlight-high snow, and freezing temperatures that take a big toll on the car's systems.

Read more
Japanese startup reveals videos of flying car’s first manned test flight
skydrive first manned test flight flying car project sd 03

Japanese startup SkyDrive confirmed that it has completed the first manned test flight of its SD-03 flying car, with videos showing the vehicle in action.

SkyDrive said in a press release that the test flights, which were conducted on August 25 at the 10,000-square-meter Toyota Test Field, lasted for about four minutes. A pilot was in the SD-03, but to ensure stability and safety, a computer-assisted control system was used, along with technical staff that monitored flight conditions and the flying car's performance.

Read more
Tesla driver using Autopilot suspected of DUI after crashing into Arizona cop car
Tesla Autopilot crash in Arizona

A 23-year-old California man using Tesla's Autopilot autonomous driving feature collided with an Arizona State Trooper's vehicle on Tuesday afternoon and was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, according to state officials.

The crash occurred on the eastbound Interstate 10 near Benson, Arizona, when the Tesla rear-ended a trooper's SUV while responding to an earlier crash. The trooper's vehicle had moved over to the side of highway, and the impact from the Tesla caused it to collide with an ambulance, officials said. Only the driver of the Tesla sustained any injuries.

Read more