This is the shocking moment a homemade helicopter shatters into pieces sending its elderly pilot flying through the air.

The incident happened on 31st July in a field near the village of Zalazna, in Russia's Kirov region.

According to reports, 88-year-old Vladimir Trapeznikov had built the aircraft himself using makeshift methods without submitting a flight plan or notifying aviation authorities of his intention to use the airspace.

During the test flight, the helicopter broke apart shortly after the engine was started and one of the rotor blades is said to have struck the pensioner in the head.

Video shows Vladimir being thrown into the air as the aircraft attempts to lift off, with wreckage strewn across the ground.

The 88-year-old aircraft modeler Vladimir Trapeznikov posing in undated footage. He died while testing a homemade helicopter in Zalazna, Kirov Oblast of Russia on July 31, 2025. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)

Emergency services took the seriously injured man to Omutninsk hospital.

Despite doctors’ efforts, Vladimir died from a severe head injury several hours later.

Vladimir was known as a local aviation enthusiast and aircraft model designer who had reportedly built five planes since 1964 and once completed a flight on one of his creations.

(Mike Leidig / newsX)