Two People Fatally Injured When The Aircraft Went Down In 2009

A New Zealand Coroner's report from an accident which occurred in 2009 indicates that a person giving flight instruction in a gyrocopter in 2009 was not qualified to teach in the aircraft. Both people on board the aircraft were fatally injured in the accident.

According to a report released last Wednesday by Coroner Carla na Nagara, the pilot, 51-year-old John Chubb, and Neville Ronald Adlam, age 70, were fatally injured when Adlam performed a climbing left turn and lost control of the aircraft. Chubb had performed several takeoffs and landings before giving the controls to Adlam.

In the report, Coroner na Nagara said "This handling error could have occurred due to Mr. Adlam's experience, or possibly a medical event affecting his ability to handle the aircraft.
 
"As Mr. Chubb was not a qualified instructor it is probable he lacked the skills and/or experience to intervene to recover control of the aircraft."

The coroner said that Chubb was an experienced gyrocopter pilot, but not qualified to be a flight instructor, making the instruction flight a breach of CAA rules.

(Gyrocopter pictured in file photo. Not accident aircraft)

FMI: www.caa.govt.nz