What happened
On 11 June 2013, a Rotorsport Cavalon, registration G-CIAT, was involved in an accident during a private flight at Chiltern Air Park, Oxfordshire. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot with 70 total flying hours.
Upon completing the landing, the gyroplane began to veer toward the left. During this maneuver, the aircraft rolled over. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to its rotor.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the control inputs provided during the landing phase and the subsequent movement of the aircraft.
It was established that the pilot applied left rudder and moved the control stick forward too rapidly. This sequence of actions prevented the energy from being properly distributed to the right side of the aircraft, leading to the loss of directional control and the subsequent rollover.