What happened
On July 3, 2006, at approximately 18:45 UTC, a Magni M16 Tandem Trainer gyrocopter, registered 16-GO, was performing a local recreational flight from a private, uncertified airstrip in Cepeda, Antime, Fafe. The pilot, operating under a student pilot authorization, initiated takeoff from a makeshift runway that the owner had constructed on his property.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot utilized the latter half of the available runway. As the aircraft became airborne, the pilot attempted to clear large trees (15 to 20 meters in height) located at the end of the runway by pulling the cyclic backward and banking slightly to the right. This maneuver increased the rotor's angle of attack, which subsequently caused a decrease in rotor RPM and a loss of lift. The aircraft entered a power-inversion state, unable to maintain altitude, and collided with the branches of a large oak tree approximately 150 meters beyond the runway end. The aircraft became lodged in the treetop.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation established that the pilot was a student pilot who had completed 17:40 hours of dual instruction but had never been cleared by his instructor to fly solo. The investigation also found that the aircraft, while registered in France, had been operating in Portuguese airspace without the necessary authorization from the Portuguese aeronautical authorities (INAC). Additionally, there was no documented evidence of maintenance history or flight hour logs for the engine or airframe.
Findings
- The pilot was performing a solo flight without the required solo endorsement from his instructor.
- The pilot's attempt to climb by pulling the cyclic backward increased the rotor load, leading to a reduction in rotor RPM and a loss of lift.
- The aircraft was operating from an uncertified, privately constructed runway.
- The pilot failed to utilize the full length of the runway, which would have allowed for sufficient acceleration to clear the obstacles.
- The pilot was unharmed during the incident, though the aircraft sustained significant damage, including a destroyed propeller and a detached rudder.