What happened
On March 2, 2022, a Magni M16 Tandem Trainer gyroplane, registration 21AGP, was conducting a local flight from Dijon-Darois aerodrome when it crashed in a wooded area near Vaux-Saules. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 2,750 feet in a north-easterly direction when the accident occurred. The impact resulted in one fatality (the pilot) and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage and the rotor assembly to determine the cause of the loss of control. Investigators found significant impact marks on the leading edge of one rotor blade, which corresponded to the location of cockpit debris found away from the main wreckage. This indicated that a rotor blade had struck the right front section of the cockpit and the pilot during flight.
Technical analysis of the rotor control linkage revealed that the fixed connection between the rotor control fork and the rotor had failed. Specifically, the examination showed that a taper pin had gouged the fork, and a bolt used to secure the assembly had ruptured at both ends. These failures allowed the control fork to rotate independently of the rotor, leading to contact between the notched gear and the fork arm, which ultimately caused the rotor blade to move out of its intended plane.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the rupture of the rotor control linkage components, specifically the bolt and the taper pin.
- This mechanical failure allowed for unintended relative movement between the rotor and the control fork.
- The resulting instability caused a rotor blade to strike the cockpit and the pilot.
- While the exact sequence of the component failures could not be determined, investigators could not rule out an initial rupture occurring under load during a sudden maneuver or a prior to flight.
- Maintenance records showed the aircraft had undergone a 500-hour inspection, but this specific connection is not a required inspection point under the manufacturer's standard maintenance program.