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Date: | Thursday 10 August 2017 |
Time: | 15:05 UTC |
Type: | Rotorsport UK Calidus |
Owner/operator: | Private |
Registration: | G-CPTR |
MSN: | RSUK/CALS/014 |
Year of manufacture: | 2010 |
Engine model: | Rotax 912 ULS |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Other fatalities: | 0 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester, Hampshire -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Take off |
Nature: | Private |
Departure airport: | Basingstoke-Popham Airport (EGHP) |
Destination airport: | |
Investigating agency: | AAIB |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:Rotorsport UK Calidus, G-CPTR Gyroplane written off (destroyed) when rolled onto its side during takeoff, due to inappropriate control inputs, Popham Airfield, Hampshire, 10 August 2017. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The pilot lined up his gyroplane and pre-rotated the rotor to 200 rpm, prior to an into-wind takeoff from a wet, grass runway which sloped down. He applied maximum wheel braking but, after he disengaged the pre-rotator and before he moved the control stick aft for takeoff, the gyroplane’s wheels started to slide. Although the grass was very wet, the wheel brakes had held during an earlier engine check.
The pilot was distracted by the apparent brake failure and when he realised, he could not prevent the gyroplane sliding forwards he elected to take off. Thinking that he had already moved the control stick aft, he released the brake and let the gyroplane accelerate.
After travelling approximately 70 metres, the pilot pulled the control stick back and the gyroplane rolled quickly left, the rotors struck the ground, followed by the propeller; causing the engine to stop. The gyroplane came to a halt on its left side and, with some difficulty, the pilot managed to force open the canopy and climb out.
Afterwards the pilot realised he should have abandoned the takeoff when the wheels began to slide. His distraction with the braking issue caused him to overlook the important step of moving the control stick aft before releasing the brake. By moving the control stick aft once the gyroplane gained speed, rather than when it was stationary, he had induced a rapid roll to the left, which he could not correct"
The pilot sustained only minor injuries, but the Caldius sustained - per the AAIB report - "extensive" damage. The damage sustained seems to have rendered the aircraft as "beyond economical repair", as the registration G-CPTR was cancelled by the CAA (and the airframe de-registered) on 9 November 2017 as aircraft "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
|
| |
Investigating agency: | AAIB |
Report number: | EW/G2017/08/08 |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 4 months |
Download report: | Final report |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a0ac5b1ed915d0ade60db63/Rotorsport_UK_Calidus_G-CPTR_12-17.pdf 2.
http://gyroaccidents.blogspot.co.uk/ (Entry for 10 August 2017)
3.
https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-CPTR.html 4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popham_Airfield
History of this aircraft
This Rotorsport UK Calidus was built in 2010 and first UK registered (from new) on 28 June 2010 as G-CGLH to its first UK owner, passing on to its 2nd owner on 26 August 2011. After being sold on to its 3rd owner on 4 April 2012, the new owners re-registered the aircraft as G-CPTR. G-CPTR had accumulated a total of 304 flying hours on the airframe as at 7 April 2017. The aircraft then passed on to its 4th (and, as events turned out, final) owner (still as G-CPTR) on 26 June 2017.
After the incident at Popham on 10 August 2017, the damage sustained seems to have rendered the aircraft as "beyond economical repair", as the registration G-CPTR was cancelled by the CAA on 9 November 2017 as aircraft "destroyed"
Location
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
18-Dec-2017 22:25 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
12-Apr-2018 16:36 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
15-Apr-2018 13:48 |
harro |
Updated [Source] |
08-Jun-2024 19:28 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |