ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 188666
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| Date: | Thursday 1 June 2006 |
| Time: | 09:27 |
| Type: |  RAF 2000 GTX-SE |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | G-REBA |
| MSN: | PFAG/13-1334 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Engine model: | One Subaru EJ22 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | West of Simon’s Stone, Colliford Lake, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Watchford Farm, Tiphayes, near Honiton, Devon |
| Bodmin Airfield, Bodmin, Cornwall (EGLA) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (destroyed) 01-06-2006 when crashed west of Simon’s Stone, Colliford Lake, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. The pilot (the sole person on board) was killed. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"The gyroplane was being flown from Watchford Farm in Devon to Bodmin airfield in Cornwall by the pilot who was also the owner and builder. Approximately 2.8 nautical miles north-east of Bodmin Airfield at a height of about 450 feet agl, a witness saw the main rotor blades stop. The gyroplane fell to the ground fatally injuring the pilot.
The main rotor blades had contacted the vertical stabiliser, propeller and rudder. During the course of this investigation a programme of test flying was conducted by the UK CAA, primarily as a result of an earlier accident. Undesirable handling characteristics of the RAF 2000 were identified. As a result the CAA has published Mandatory Permit Directive MPD 2006-013, restricting operation of the type.
The investigation has identified an undiagnosed medical problem, pre-impact mechanical interference of the control runs and undesirable handing characteristics of the gyroplane, but has not identified the precise cause of the accident. However any combination of these factors could have caused the accident. Four Safety Recommendations have been made."
Although the manufacturers (RAF) don't admit that the modification to the tail stabilizer is worthwhile, in fact they do not approve it, the CAA/LAA do approve it and when fitted, allow the RAF 2000 to be flown with doors fitted. Most importantly though, the tail makes the RAF 2000 significantly more stable and less prone to the dreaded PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillation).
PIO can be dangerous, even fatal, in any aircraft, but in a gyro or helicopter is especially dangerous as the main rotor must never be subjected to negative G. If it happens, the aircraft usually stops flying quite abruptly, often with damage to the craft from the rotor blades. It seems that at least three unmodified UK RAF 2000's (G-REBA, G-CBAG & G-CBCJ) have crashed in similar circumstances.
Nature of Damage to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Gyroplane destroyed". as a result, the registration G-REBA was cancelled by the CAA on 02-06-2007 (one year and one day later).
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ecb2ed915d1371000113/RAF_2000_GTX-SE__G-REBA_09-07.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=REBA
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=3360
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/5037072.stm
5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7404171.stm
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://207.58.129.233/~rotary/forum/showthread.php?t=8684]
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Air_Force_RAF_2000#Design
8. http://hairyanimal.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/sad-history.html
9. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ef97ed915d1371000277/S6-2006_G-REBA.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jul-2016 15:54 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 02-Aug-2016 14:16 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category] |
| 02-Aug-2016 14:17 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 02-Aug-2016 21:15 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 24-Aug-2016 19:55 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Damage] |
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