Student pilot hurt in crash during mock test

A student pilot suffered serious injuries when a gyroplane struck trees and fell to the ground during a mock flying test, an investigation found.

The man and his instructor were able to escape the "extensively damaged" Rotorsport Cavalon when it came down in a field near Holt, Norfolk, in January, and were taken to hospital.

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said the instructor had minor injuries, while the student believed he had been rendered unconscious.

The investigation concluded the aircraft had struck trees during an attempted go-around from a practice forced landing, but the cause could not be determined.

The gyroplane had taken off from Felthorpe Airfield at 09:45 BST on 16 January, with the instructor explaining beforehand that he would conduct a mock flying test and would therefore say as little as possible during the flight.

After the student completed various air manoeuvres at 2,000 ft (609m), the instructor directed him to simulate an engine failure.

There was a misunderstanding over how to approach the field and the student turned the aircraft 90 degrees to the right, which took the gyroplane over a wood at 300ft.

"Though the instructor judged that the student would have reached his intended field had the engine failure been genuine, concerned for the proximity of the trees the instructor directed a go-around," the AAIB report stated.

The men's recollections differed over whether the student applied the required full power, with the tutor stating he placed his own hand on the control column to pitch down.

He could not recall if he was able to get the stick forward or whether he had said, 'I have control,' the report added.

The aircraft struck the edge of the trees and fell to ground, with the student able to alert emergency services to their exact location via an app on his phone.

Further details of injuries or treatment are not included in the report.

"As the recollections of those on board differed and with no data retrieved from the aircraft, it was not possible to determine the cause of the aircraft striking the trees," the report concluded.

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