Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. That belief has circulated among flat-earthers since his appearance at the 2018 FEIC. Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this story. Down the line! It drives me crazy. The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Thanks for contacting us. And yet, as I stood among the sagebrush outside Barstow, gazing at the progress of a tiny white speck against the blue sky, I found myself chanting commands to someone who I knew couldnt hear me. With time their family will shares his funeral information publically. I dont want to take anyone elses word for it, he said after a March 2018 launch in the Mojave Desert in which he shot his homemade rocket over 1,800 feet into the sky, I dont know if the world is flat or round.. The tension was growing, and so, it seemed to me, was the possibility of a last-minute mistake. But I knew a cant-miss story when I saw one. Chute! A US daredevil pilot has been killed during an attempted launch of a homemade rocket in the Californian desert. Now theres a breakthrough. A crew member was hurt so badly that part of his leg was later amputated. Far from prompting people to re-examine their own beliefs, if anything Hughes death cemented their commitment to chasing what they believe to be the truth at any cost. And we in the media enabled him. Ive got balls, and I will roll the dice.. He built his first manned rocket in 2014 a contraption he called the X-2 SkyLimo and managed to launch himself more than 1,300 feet over Winkelman, Ariz., he told the Associated Press. Because it was people like me who imbued his quest with some larger meaning. There was part of me that wished he would find a hobby that was fun for him but had less of a chance of dying, maybe training his cats or something, but that wouldnt have done it for him.. Afterward, he reportedly collapsed and needed several days to recover. However, a BLM spokesman said its local field office had no record of speaking to Hughes at the time. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. Hughes' death was confirmed by Waldo Stakes, a longtime collaborator of the stunt man, and a representative of The Science Channel which is part of Discovery and had been following Hughes' rocket mission for their new show Homemade Astronauts. A smattering of reporters and photographers. To be sure, Mike was a conspiracy theorist par excellence. Despite the utter lack of evidence surrounding the Flat Earth theory and intense criticism from scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Flat Earth theory has gained traction in recent years (one 2018 poll found that two percent of more than 10,000 respondents harbored such views), and has been promoted by such high-profile figures as Kyrie Irving and musician B.o.B. Some people just get perverse delight out of fooling people into believing something absurd. That might be because no such category had existed until he contacted the record-keepers to ask if they would be interested. Chute. A now-viral video shared on Twitter by journalist Justin Chapmanshowed the daredevils fatal mishap, but the details of what exactly went wrong were obscure until now. In response to a request for comment, a representative for the Science Channel said, Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. [23], Following Hughes' death, Darren Shuster, his public relations representative, stated: "We used flat Earth as a PR stunt Flat Earth allowed us to get so much publicity that we kept going! The National Library of Medicine describes Hughes' cause of death as a "rare congenital abnormality" that represents less than 3% of coronary anomalies. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 2008, at age 75 at death place, Florida. Video of the tragic accident, which took place in Barstow, California, was captured by reporter Justin Chapman. I asked them if they had any idea how off-the-charts dangerous this was? Help us to update this page. All Rights reserved. He died following his rocket crash-landing in the open desert in California on 22 February 2020. Mike Hughes started to gain the limelight after setting a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. I really appreciate it, Mike told me about an hour before the crash. Mike previously launched self made rocket in March 2018 and went above in the sky about 1800 feet and he told about his desires in an interview in October 2018.The Flat Earth thing is like everything else to me, I just want people to question everything. Daredevil 'Mad' Mike Hughes has died after launching himself into the air on a homemade rocket that later crash landed, possibly due to a parachute malfunction. Mike Hudges was an American limo driver and daredevil. On September 28, 2002, he made into the Guinness Book of World Records after jumping 103 feet in a 6,500 ton Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine at Perris Auto Speedway. A tire blew out. The parachute? It was getting him back alive. Get started Geni World Family Tree. Heres what happens on the longest night of the yearin the solar system and across different cultures here on Earth. I talked to a couple from Fountain Valley whose sons had met Waldo and Mike, and I hung for a bit with a pair of local firefighters whod seen something about the launch on social media. Editors picks Hughes spent his childhood in Oklahoma City. Death. He raised thousands of dollars onGoFundMe to finance the construction of his rockets. On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. We've received your submission. Its suspected that Mike blacked out due to the rocket having blasted off at around 500 MPH. Without an audience, he was just a lone lunatic shouting incoherently in a barren desert. Science Channel wrote, "Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket. And they planned to do it with a spacecraft built at El Ranchito Rakete. The author interviewing Mike while the TV crew films, August 2019. Certainly Hughes was a daredevil who knew the risks of these rocket launches, and regardless of his incentives, tragically paid the ultimate price for his celebrity. But Michael Linn, Brusseaus partner on the documentary, said that, based on his conversations with Hughes, the belief appeared to be genuine. Its easy to ridicule the Mike Hugheses of the world, have-nothings who gamble their lives on a lottery offering only a microscopic chance of success. In the aftermath of Hughess death, many viewed it as the ultimate culmination of the dangers of pseudoscience, heavily criticizing the media, particularly the Science Channel, for giving oxygen to his views. His rocket flew 1,374 feet over Winkelman, Arizona in just over one minute. He lived in California. He was known as Mad Mike Hughes. Last spring, Waldo called to tell me hed hatched a crazily ambitious plan: He wanted to send Mike into space. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. His journey was to be featured on Homemade Astronauts, a series on the Science Channel. I met Mike through Waldo Stakes. Similarly, those who promote the flat-earth movement (primarily on the internet), particularly such stunts, bear some responsibility for Hughes death. All rights reserved. The phenomenon threatens local drinking water, and scientists think climate change may be the culprit. Ill feel it in the morning. The more outlandish and provocative the content, the more interest, and hence more views. But for what? Trying to set a land speed record or breaking the sound barrier struck me as goals worth aspiring to. . Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time. Hughes 2002 feat in Perris, California still holds the world record for longest limousine ramp jump, according to the Guinness World Records website. I think thats what hit us then and there: this is completely dangerous. He planned to launch himself in a rocket in August 2019. [4] After three weekends of failure, Mike and Waldo put the project on hiatus. He was a lonely guy, Linn said. Chapmans unfortunate footage captures the first parachute disconnecting shortlyafter the rocket began its ascent and then freefalling. Progress ceased when Mike was arrested and jailed for extortion, but work resumed after a benefactor bailed him out. A group of spectators gathered around him. A handful of newcomers had shown up. A risk that was too high. He announced at that meeting that he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts. Waldo intended to use a hydrogen peroxide rocket to allow Mike to breach the so-called Karman line, 62 miles above Earths surface. Hughes, 64, had been a. He seemed to be speaking to himself as much as me. Just a slender projectile hurtling silently to the ground. He was also a flat-Earth conspiracy theorist known for flying self-built rockets. Question what really happened during the Civil War. I didnt join them. And what was the point? Mike's steam rocket on the launch rail in August 2019. But, he had gushed about his birthday publically. A trial using the gene-editing tool inside the body hints at treating, or even curing, a rare fatal diseaseand is changing a community in the process. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. Chute! He raised only $310. However, Hughes seemed to love his day job and proudly turned his limo into a vehicle that could be mistaken for a Batmobile. I knew that sending Mike into space would be far more dangerous than launching the steam rocket. Chute. This was partly out of a sense of self-preservation; at this point, the rocket was effectively a bomb. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. But, of course, his biggest delusion was that there was widespread interest in his antics. Daredevil Flat Earther 'Mad Mike' Hughes Dies When Self-Made Rocket Crashes Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. Rare Fugazi Live Footage Stitched Into New Movie to Screen One Night Only in Washington D.C. A$AP Rocky Wonders How to Break Violent Cycles in Hip-Hop on Tribute Single Same Problems', Adi Oasis Channels High Fashion and Euphoria in Video for Ovulation Anthem Multiply. Rocketry geeks. Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Even if a company unknowingly manufactures faulty products that result in grave injury or death, they hold some responsibility. Nobody could find the pylons for the guy wires supporting the launch rail. I knew that the previous three launches had only barely avoided catastrophe. This story has been shared 114,809 times. Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. All of them prominently featured Mikes harmlessly harebrained belief that the Earth was flat. Mike wanted to build the rocket himself, he said. Ill officially say that.. His mission was to launch his vesselto a height of 35,000-feet in an attempt to confirm his theory that the earth is flat. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. "[24][4][25][26], Hughes appeared in the music video for the Death Valley Girls' song "One Less Thing (Before I Die)". Mad Mike attracted attention for his conspiracy theories and for documenting his bold pursuits. No chute. I passed by the display of his rocket several times, hoping to speak to him, but he was always busy talking to other people, so I never got the chance. After five seconds, the plume disappeared as the last of the steam escaped through the nozzle. He said that my suggestion was tantamount to auto manufacturers being responsible for car accidents. Hughes reported no serious injury from the landing. [10][21] A witness at the launch, freelance journalist Justin Chapman, said that the rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus and ladder, perhaps tearing the parachutes. Daredevil, Is Killed in Rocket Crash", "NEWS: 'Flat Earth' Daredevil Dies in Homemade Rocket Stunt", "Death Valley Girls Share Video for "(One Less Thing) Before I Die", "Death Valley Girls - "(One Less Thing) Before I Die" Video", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Hughes_(daredevil)&oldid=1134002496, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 14:50. It. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. Yeah, I guess. Why the Search for Life in Space Starts With Ancient Earth. The launch was initially scheduled for last August but was moved several times due to technical difficulties. Before his death, Mike had lived a married man. I think he honestly meant it. [8], Hughes planned to again launch himself in a rocket on August 10, 2019,[17] but mechanical troubles postponed the launch. We usually watch his matches on our DVR, long after theyve been played. On Saturday, he was working on to launch a self made rocket for a new science series called Homemade Astronauts and he was going to be featured on TV show on Discoverys Science Channel. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. There is a duty of care issue. The camera quickly pans down to the drifting parachute and then back up to the rocket and follows the doomed craft until it crashes into the California desert while spectators who were watching the event scream. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. Rain was in the forecast, but the morning dawned sunny and brisk. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time. On Saturday, 64-year-old Mad Mike Hughes was killed when a rocket he was attached to crashed in the desert in San Bernardino County, California. Video posted online shows the exact moment Mad Mike Hughes homemade rocket came crashing down to Earth after a failed launch attempt, killing the self-styled daredevil. Mad Mike Hughes died on February 22 when the parachutes on his homemade steam rocket failed to deploy and he augured into the sagebrush near Barstow, California, like a giant lawn dart plummeting at more than 300 miles per hour. We all understood that the chances of success were minimal. [8], At the time of his death, Hughes lived in Apple Valley, California. Given the tragic turn of events, its doubtful that this series will go forward. But Mike wanted to fly higher, faster, farther. [1] He said in November 2017 that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had given him verbal permission more than a year prior to launch his rocket, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. "[13], The untested initial rocket was intended to reach a speed of 500mph (800km/h); further rocket trips, which were to be launched from a balloon 20 miles (32km) up,[14] were intended to reach above the atmosphere into outer space. The crowd was bigger than I expectedfour or five dozen peopleand a lot more varied. There was no official anything. 2023 Cond Nast. Waldo speculates that the violence of the shift knocked Mike unconscious. Mikes ground control crew radioed him to deploy one of the two backup parachutes installed on the rocket, but Mike never responded. Mike's flight suit hung alongside a render of the space vehicle he and Waldo were planning to build. He collapsed after the landing. Mike and Waldo were an odd couplea bantam rooster with a shock of gray-white hair and a solid redwood with tattooed biceps. Already Ive seen some flat-earthers claim that nefarious agents of the government sabotaged and hence assassinated Hughes. 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