What happened
On 24 August 2011, a Rotorsport UK MTOSport, registration G-CGLX, was conducting a solo training flight at Rufforth Airfield, Yorkshire. The student pilot was operating the aircraft on Runway 23. During the landing sequence, the initial contact of the main wheels with the asphalt surface appeared standard. However, as the nosewheel made contact with the runway, the aircraft experienced a slight shimmy through the integrated nosewheel and rudder steering mechanism. This resulted in the aircraft yawing to the left and subsequently rolling onto its right side, where it eventually came to a halt.
Despite the impact, the pilot, who was equipped with a protective helmet and full harness, escaped with minor injuries. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, fuselage, tail, horizontal stabiliser assembly, and the rotor and mast.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the student pilot's flight records and statements. On the day of the occurrence, the student had completed two left-hand turns and one right-hand turn earlier in the day. The pilot noted that during a training flight earlier that morning, they had attempted to apply corrective right-pedal input, but the aircraft had instead veered further left.
In the post-accident statement, the student pilot suggested that the loss of directional control might have been caused by incorrect foot positioning on the right pedal during the landing roll.