Report stated that last pilot was the witness to the accident aircraft's low & slow flight position just prior to going down.
Thank you for pointing that out, what I was trying to say this Gyro was working hard, the Pax (RiP) was not a small person, Daniel the Pilot himself was not a small man and I was simply wondering if they had overworked the 914? OAT was almost 30 degrees @1500Ft that day.
The one question I would like to ask this
AP and the Pilots instructor (same Person) is that a few days prior to them all embarking on this trip he had just done the Pilots renewal, how did he miss the engine out, engine failure procedures? an instructor is supposed to revisit these during a Licence renewal.
When Daniel flew the Gyro away from my hangar he went to Van Wyk to get his documents approved (we agree that flight was illegal having no valid ATF, the agreement was that Van Wyk was to come to my Hangar and inspect the aircraft, sadly I do not sit on the same side of the Fence as Van Wyk and he did not wish to come to me)
lets forget that for a moment...I was hovering above him when he took off and I shouted at him on the RT that he was turning out way to early and way to low, his actions were congruent for a Pilot who flies off his own strip and we see how these disciplines are eroded when they are not flying in a more formal environment.
I had a pax with me that witnessed that, I also have a video supporting this..
So back to Van Wyk who is on record in the report saying he wrote a letter condemning my work> well Sir you had just redone his licence yet a week later the same PIlot could not handle and engine out (as we know an engine out in a Gyro is a non event) the report making mention of rudder cables and other are also ireleavent as the entire Gyro was at the accident scene. The same Gyro flew from FAWN my hangar to Van Wyk then onto the Pilots farm and then onto Gariep, where it also took part in some recreational flights....if any of the cosmetic workmanship was questionable it would be reasonable to consider that a problem would have been noticed beforehand, with a proper pre flight inspection.
For me what remains a mystery is why did the Pilot not execute a normal engine out landing and it appears from what I have read and been told that it ran out of airspeed, was it shock? was it inexperience? did the Pilot freeze? the terrain in the pics certainly look as if a normal engine out landing would have been easily achievable? and survivable, the M16 is the most docile Gyroplane on the planet and lands with almost no forward speed...so what went wrong? certainly not a nose wheel failure or some cosmetic work?
Note: In another forum it was stated that Daniel was a Highly experienced pilot? really with 190 Hours?
I add that I did a duel check with Daniel years ago prior to him gaining his licence at that time (and it will be in his student file @ Van Wyk's school) I noted he was a nervous Pilot.
I also add for clarity that I worked for this AP and he is on record saying I was his best instructor, this has been told to me by more than one person...
I have nothing to do with this man any longer after him and I parted ways with him overreaching on clients repair bills and me taking him to task....now he tries to vindicate his inactions and blame it on my workmanship....he sold the fork to the client knowing full well Iwas going to fit it..
If Van Wyk and his cronies including some vindictive CAA inspectors want to sit around a table and unpack the
facts they are most welcome to contact me