What happened
On 26 April 2009, a Rotorsport UK MT-03, registration G-CFAI, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Popham Airfield, Hampshire. The pilot, who held a National Private Pilot’s Licence for aeroplanes, was conducting his first solo flight in the gyroplane. Prior to the solo, the pilot had completed a training session with his primary instructor and a subsequent check flight with an independent instructor to confirm readiness.
During the flight, the pilot performed a power-off approach on runway 21 at approximately 70 mph, with the wind coming from the left. As the aircraft approached the round-out, the pilot used the rudders to straighten the aircraft and initiated a flare lasting roughly 100 yards. Upon the main wheels making contact with the runway, the nose of the aircraft yawed sharply to the right. As the nosewheel subsequently touched the ground, the aircraft—which was nearly stationary at that moment—yawed rapidly to the left and rolled onto its right side. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft suffered extensive damage to the propeller, mast, and rotors, along with minor damage to the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight conditions and the pilot's handling of the aircraft during the landing phase. The weather at the airfield was noted as good, with a surface wind of 170 degrees at 10 knots. The investigation also considered the physical characteristics of the runway, which featured a left-to-right slope across the surface.
Findings
- The accident was caused by insufficient into-wind control to counter the crosswind and the runway slope.
- A small amount of right drift had developed during the flare process.
- The pilot's control inputs were inadequate to manage the combination of the wind direction and the lateral gradient of the runway during the transition from main wheels to nosewheel contact.