Amazingly, both pilot and passenger survived.
First, be aware that the video is quite shocking. The crash also reportedly left the passengers severely injured. The good news is that both the pilot and passenger survived, which may be a miracle given the impact and subsequent fall.
Yesterday’s story was posted on Reddit. It contained a description of “testing an flying car” and a link to two YouTube videos by HunterQ8y. The first video shows the crash above. The second one shows a close-up view of the aftermath. It is widely believed that the liquid staining on the brick is either from the vehicle or the transmission fluid.
What the hell happened? Reddit thread and video descriptions are sparse. They tell us that this is a SkyRunner light sport aircraft and that the occupants, who were apparently husband-and-wife, were seriously injured. The SkyRunner website shows that the SkyRunner has been FAA-certified and is available for purchase. It is basically an all-terrain vehicle/ATV that has tandem seating and a propeller at the back. There’s also a parachute wings for taking to the sky.
It has simple controls that allow you to turn left or right, according to the website. The throttle controls altitude and the aircraft has a restricted operating altitude of 10,000 feet. We are not able to determine if there were any problems after takeoff. A special pilot’s license is required for the SkyRunner, so it is likely that the pilot has had proper training. If given the option of flying towards tall buildings or towards the clear sky, we would choose the clear sky if the winds were good. We would have chosen a different location for our flight if the winds were not favorable. This is especially true if it was a test flight with a new machine.
We hope that the pilot and passenger both make quick, complete recovery. Keep safe, no matter where you are on the ground or up there.