What happened
On 11 May 2001, a Sycamore MK 2000 gyrocopter, registration ZU-CJH, was performing a takeoff from Farm Elsjan in the Komatipoort area. The flight was a private operation, and the pilot intended to land at the same location after departure.
According to the pilot, the aircraft initially accelerated normally along the takeoff surface. However, after traveling roughly 200 meters, the aircraft veered toward the left and experienced a sudden pitch-up motion to an altitude of about two meters. During this maneuver, the rotor blades made contact with the ground behind the aircraft. The impact caused the gyrocopter to descend into a nearby sugarcane field, where it eventually came to rest on its right side, positioned at a 90-degree angle to the original takeoff direction. There were no injuries and no fatalities resulting from the incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the takeoff roll and the pilot's control inputs. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the rotor strike and the environmental conditions at the time, which were noted as fine with calm winds and visibility exceeding 10 km.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary cause of the accident was the application of excessive back pressure on the control column during the takeoff roll. This input caused a sudden and significant nose-up attitude as the aircraft lifted off, leading directly to the rotor blades striking the runway surface. Additionally, the investigation identified that the pilot attempted to rotate the aircraft before it had achieved sufficient airspeed or rotor RPM.