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An unusual crash at the field


andy watson
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Simon,
There is a training system and qualification system for gyro copters, the PPL (G). Anyone flying one without a licence and/or instructor is breaking the law. This is why it is essential this is reported to the FAA, alongside the fact that all crashes must be reported anyway. A friend of mine lost her husband in an autogyro crash, and he was fully licenced and very experianced - only an idiot would fly one without training, and only a bigger idiot would ride pillion. I think these 2 would qualify in both categories....
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Gyrocopters are very easy to crash....apparently the most common mistake is to apply negative "G" (at the top of a climb say) as this reverses the airflow through the rotors which can then slow down or even stop & a gyrocopter without its rotors spinning is only going one way......down!!!
 
I can't conceive of the mentality of someone who jumps into the cockpit without training thinking "..how hard can it be..."
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As far as I know the only powered aircraft you can fly without a licence are foot launched machines such as Paramotors (which I fly) & powered hang gliders. They are still subject to the ANO just as we are when flying our models. Notwithstanding this, I did approx 12 months of training before I felt competent to actually fly.
Even if this guy had a licence, he was in breach of the ANO in endangering not only himself & his aircraft, but those around him. It's just lucky he got away with it, he was obviously out of control & that machine could have gone anywhere.
Just think if one of the models had also hit it-it would be in the press that "model plane brings down aircraft" with all the attendant bad press for us.
Doesn't bear thinking about.
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Looking at the rotors it looks as though he pulled the stick right back and then put full throttle. The rotor angle didn't change throughout his run. I only flew gliders and Super cubs, but attempting to take off with the stick in your belly doen't sound like the right way to fly a Gyrocopter.
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I am sure the Pilot had the necessary licence and training as these things are not easy to fly and some people are beginning to speculate!
 
Granted, a downwind take off is not technically the way to do it but we do not really know the full story as the Pilot and passenger will be the only people who can explain!!
We also do not know if there were any mechanical issues and people act differently in shock!!! I expect, both were in deep shock!!
 
Lets just hope the CAA do what they need to do.
 
God knows why he picked your field though!!!!!
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we lost a loverly flighing site due to a full size crash which was sadly fatal for the pilot, we shared the field with micro-lites  the man who rented the field had a two seater himself, we used to see some beutiful little planes come in. then he was asked if a cessna 182 could land and take off doing banner towing. the cessna had done two flights with no problems and the daughter of the micro lites pilot had flown with him on the second flight, the pilot was 25 years old and he packed all the banner gear in his plane gave us a wave goodbye started up and took off, as he lifted off i thought he had lifted to early he then banked left to go round over the strip and tip stalled from about 70 foot up, he had no chance to do anything and hit the ground he was killed instantly we raced over to see if we could help but could see we could do nothing for him and as the wing was brocken and pouring petrol we retired and waited for the emergentcy services, they were so worried about the petrol and being in a field full of ripe corn they covered the plane and left it there till the next morning with the pilots body still in it. it was some thing i never want to see again
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  • 1 year later...
Just found all the links on youtube.
I hope the law throw the book at him. He deserves to do time.
To think if he had made it off the ground and into the air he'd have been sharing airspace with all sorts of legitimate traffic, and with obvious disregard to anything where else might he have ended up. Manchester airport?
 
I'd like to have a "chat" with him.
 
My son (16 years old) is about to do his gliding scholarship with the ATC. Seeing this scares me. Imagine the consequeces of gyrocopter meets Grob Vigilant...............!
I won't be showing this to my wife. She's worried enough.
 
 
Please keep us posted if you here any more abiout the case.

Edited By Tim Mackey - Administrator on 22/06/2011 14:12:55

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Posted by Gemma Jane on 06/07/2009 00:16:50:
Andy, the Police do not always know what is appropriate, the least you should do together with those who witnessed the accident is to write down what you saw and inform the CAA.
 
Can't fault that bit, but we generally know a person who does!
An incident such as this would be forwarded to us by which ever service you call and vice versa. On receipt of an incident, it is allocated a code which once placed on the system would trigger what's called "mid screen comments". These normally include a list of contacts and protocol for dealing with that particular incident, in effect an idiots guide. Virtually every incident has protocols from major gas leaks to people stuck in a lift. (Yes we do get called for that)
We had a similar-ish incident where HEMS was forced to make an emergency landing when it received foreign object damage to the rotor assembly when coming into land. Nothing the pilot could do and this is one of the hazards of landing off airport.
Even as we arrived an entire chain of people were being woken up with the AIB arriving within the hour. It was a sad sight to see the Big Red Bird being stretchered away later though.
My personal view on the incident is that due to it's nature, the pilot and aircraft do not leave the scene until the various agencies are satisfied that the immediate investigation is completed which would naturally include witness details. Should any offences be present from the outset, the relevant person would then be offered free food and accommodation ! !
Be interesting to see what emerges from this. I take it he had permission to fly from the site?
 

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Posted by Martin Whybrow on 22/06/2011 19:15:36:
Posted by Martin Harris on 22/06/2011 15:37:49:
As real as the CAA database entry
 
Might be the Governor, of course...

Edited By Martin Harris on 22/06/2011 15:42:06

Don't think so, this explains why he's there and it's aircraft related.

 
Researching the case, it seems he got 20 years for conspiracy to import cocaine - gonna need a check ride or two when he finally gets out........

Reminds me of an incident I attended many years ago when a bent pilot flew a consignment of cannabis into a private airstrip in a single-engined light aircraft. The pilot passed the container to his mate who was standing at the leading edge of the wing, next to the cockpit. He promptly turned round and walked into the prop......
 
The pilot had his priorities right, of course - he spent some time hiding the stash in the hedge some distance away before he bothered to walk to a farmhouse for help - but by then it was much too late

Drugs can be very bad for your health............
 
Pete

 
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