What happened
On 19 August 2000, an Everett Gyroplane, registration G-BIPI, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Henstridge Airfield, Somerset. The aircraft, powered by a single Volkswagen 183 and operated by a student pilot, was performing ground taxiing exercises on Runway 25. The objective of the session was to practice accelerating the rotor to a speed sufficient to lift the nose landing gear off the ground.
During the specific run that led to the accident, the student pilot applied excessive power. While the pilot had previously been successful in managing the aircraft's attitude, the instructor observing the session noted that the nose landing gear rose higher than usual during this attempt. As the aircraft continued its roll, the left main landing gear lifted from the surface. The aircraft then veered to the right, causing the rotor blades and propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft eventually came to rest on its right side. The student pilot sustained no injuries and was able to exit the aircraft independently.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the taxiing exercise and the instructions provided by the instructor. The instructor had previously briefed the student to reduce power and lower the nose landing gear once the nose had lifted, a procedure the student had been following correctly in prior runs.
During the accident, the instructor was in radio communication with the student. However, the investigation established that the transition from a controlled taxi to the loss of the left main landing gear happened too rapidly for the instructor to provide effective corrective guidance via the two-way radio.
Findings
- The accident was caused by the student pilot failing to apply sufficient left control input to counteract a roll.
- A gust of wind likely contributed to the lifting of the left main landing gear.
- The student pilot used excessive power during the taxiing run, leading to an unstable aircraft attitude.