What happened
On 23 June 2007, a gyroplane, registration ZU-EFP, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Bela-Bela Aerodrome in the Northern Province. The flight was the second leg of a journey that had begun at Springs aerodrome. After completing an initial leg to Bela-Bela without incident, the pilot and one passenger attempted to depart from runway 03 for Bushwillow Private Aerodrome.
As the aircraft reached a speed of approximately 30 mph during the takeoff roll, it began to veer erratically to the left and then to the right. Recognizing the instability, the pilot attempted to abort the takeoff. However, the aircraft lost directional control, veering uncontrollably to the right and striking a sandbank adjacent to the runway. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries resulting from the impact.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history and the conditions of the aerodrome surface. At the time of the accident, the airframe had recorded 131.5 total hours. The aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection in July 2006, and its authority to fly was valid at the time of the event. The investigation also looked into the physical damage sustained by the gyroplane, which included damage to the landing gear wheels, the fuselage, and the rotor blades.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary cause of the loss of control was a deflated tire. It was determined that the main wheel tire had been punctured by thorns present on the gravel surface of the runway or taxiway. This deflation likely occurred either during the preceding landing or while taxiing, leading to the loss of directional stability during the subsequent takeoff roll.