What happened
On 1 November 2010, a Rotorsport UK MTOSport, registration G-CGGW, was conducting a private flight from Chiltern Park Aerodrome in Oxfordshire. The pilot, who had previously completed two solo circuits, was joined by a passenger for a local flight. Following standard pre-takeoff procedures and rotor pre-rotation, the aircraft departed from Runway 04.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot was unable to accelerate the fully loaded aircraft sufficiently. While the gyroplane became airborne, it did so at a speed lower than required for a safe climb. To avoid a row of trees situated at the end of the runway, the pilot climbed to the aircraft's climb speed; however, this maneuver left the aircraft with insufficient airspeed to maintain level flight. Consequently, the aircraft descended heavily into a field beyond the tree line. Both the pilot and the passenger, who were wearing protective helmets and full harnesses, escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the takeoff performance and the operational conditions at the airfield. It was noted that the pilot had a limited amount of experience operating the aircraft near its maximum takeoff weight. The investigation also looked into the takeoff procedures used at the aerodrome, noting that it was common practice for pilots of similar aircraft to begin their takeoff rolls from a position just beyond a hump on the runway, rather than utilizing the full available runway length.
Findings
- The pilot was unable to achieve the necessary acceleration on the runway due to the aircraft being at its maximum weight.
- The aircraft became airborne at an airspeed that was too low to safely transition to a climb.
- The pilot's attempt to clear trees at the end of the runway resulted in the aircraft being unable to maintain level flight due to high drag and low airspeed.