What happened
On 9 August 2023, the VA-1X, registration G-EVTL, was conducting an experimental flight test at Cotswold Airport (Kemble). The aircraft, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) prototype, was being operated remotely under the CAA Specific Category1. The mission involved testing one-engine-inoperative performance during a hover out of ground effect.
During the flight, the aircraft reached an altitude of 30 ft agend. As the aircraft began to accelerate at a ground speed of approximately 2-4 kt, a propeller blade detached from the third electric propulsion unit (EPU3). The sudden loss of the blade created massive out-of-balance forces, which caused the structural failure of the right inboard pylon. This failure subsequently severed critical wiring harnesses, leading to a loss of thrust from motors 4 and 7. Although the flight control system managed to keep the aircraft level, the reduction in vertical thrust caused a rapid descent. The aircraft struck the edge of the runway at a vertical descent rate of 19.45 ft/sec, resulting in no injuries but causing extensive damage to the right wing, fuselage, landing gear, and engine pylon.