Anybody else at that game in 1979 vs Pats besides me? What a disaster, radio controlled Flying Lawnmower, part of the halftime show, crashed into the crowd and killed 2 guys...
I was there in the bleachers . Didn't know anyone died until the following day . Maybe we can do the promo again with Snoopy's flying doghouse and this time it will take out Vick .
On December 9th, 1979, “The Electronic Eagles” seemed like the perfect midgame entertainment for a football game at Shea Stadium between the Patriots and the Jets. These nifty aircrafts presented an opportunity to showcase American innovation and also fit perfectly with the aerial minded New York team. On this day, however, the RCA’s impeccable safety record would receive its first black mark. A lawnmower-shaped craft had some difficulty taking off, but technicians managed to get it in the air. It flew through the uprights and looped over the stadium crowd. It did one pass, then another. Everything seemed fine. By the third pass, however, its pilot had lost control. Only its engine and the miracle of modern engineering kept it in the sky, and neither held together for long. The aircraft was built from a popular design and, despite its unusual shape, functions like any other remote-controlled helicopter. The main difference is that rotary blades are located underneath the craft, rather than on top. A few enthusiasts say it is easier to control than traditional crafts, though it’s mostly an aesthetic preference, except in the case of free-fall. The mower stalled soon after its third loop, and went almost straight down, hitting two men seated a few rows behind the Patriot’s bench. The lucky one suffered a severe concussion. The rotary blades on the lawnmower’s belly struck his neighbor, John Bowen. A spectator said that Bowen looked like “… he had been attacked with an axe.” He died in a hospital four days later. By Matt Alberswerth
I was there. I post my recount of the event somewhere in a trivia thread if you care to read my account.
I think this is where I first started talking about it. You have to read through a bit but not that far. http://forums.theganggreen.com/threads/jets-triva.81097/page-5#post-3015827
