What happened
On 3 July 2017, a Rotorsport UK Calidus, registration G-GRYN, was conducting a private flight at Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. The pilot, who had only completed one hour of flight time in the preceding 90 days and possessed only six hours of experience on this specific aircraft type, attempted to land on Runway 27. During the approach, the wind was blowing from the west-south-west.
As the pilot began the flare for touchdown, they identified that the maneuver had been initiated prematurely, leaving the aircraft several feet above the runway surface at a low airspeed. In an attempt to correct the descent, the pilot lowered the aircraft's nose. During this process, the gyroplane experienced a yaw and drifted toward the right side of the runway. Despite the pilot applying corrective rudder and control stick inputs, the aircraft made contact with the right main wheel first. The momentum caused the aircraft to roll onto its right side, where it eventually came to a halt.
There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the rotors, propeller, tail, and empennage.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight circumstances and the pilot's recent flying history. The pilot noted that the aircraft felt as though it had been caught by a gust of wind originating from the left. The investigation also considered the pilot's lack of recent flight experience and limited hours on the specific aircraft type.