What happened
On November 2, 2008, a pilot operating an AutoGyro MT 03 gyrocopter was performing maneuvers at Thannhausen Aerodrome. After several circuits of the airfield, the pilot approached the hangars, where he initiated a maneuver that caused the aircraft's nose to pitch upward. During this ascent, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 80 meters, but its airspeed decreased significantly. The aircraft then entered a right-hand roll that progressed into an inverted position.
As the aircraft's nose dropped, it struck the ground in a nose-first, inverted attitude. The impact was nearly vertical and occurred at high speed, resulting in the fatal injury of the pilot and the total destruction of the aircraft. A fire broke out immediately following the impact, fueled by the rupture of the fuel tanks.
The investigation
The BFU investigation utilized data from an onboard Garmin 496 GPS to reconstruct the flight path. The analysis revealed that the aircraft's speed dropped from 143 km/h to just 27 km/h during the final stages of the maneuver. Investigators also examined the wreckage, noting that while the fuel tanks had ruptured and burned, there was no evidence of a mechanical failure or an in-flight fire prior to the impact.
Furthermore, the investigation scrutinized the pilot's training records and the aircraft's certification. Discrepancies were found in the pilot's flight training documentation, including inconsistent logs regarding solo flight time and theoretical exam dates. The investigation also identified deviations between the aircraft's actual configuration and its type certification, specifically regarding the presence of an additional fuel tank and the lack of certain controls.