Airplane's Tail Assembly Failed During Flight

The pilot of a Dyn' Aero microlight which suffered an in-flight structural failure at an altitude of about 1,000 feet has been awarded a settlement of more than $150,000 after it was determined that bolts used to hold the aircraft together were defective.

Jim Martin, 54, survived the accident, though he was severely injured. His passenger, also a pilot, also survived.

The plane went down in some trees at Burgham Golf Course near Morpeth, Northumberland, UK, according to the London Daily Mail. Martin suffered brain injuries, and broke both legs. His passenger, Jon Kerr, was injured more severely.

Dyn' Aero originally argued that the in-flight failure was not its fault, but the paper reports that the investigation by Air Accidents showed that the aluminum bolts which held the vertical stabilizer had become corroded, and were defective. Both pilots received settlements of six figures.

Martin currently works in the UAE as a trainer for air ambulance crews. He had been a paramedic for an air ambulance service in the UK before the accident. Kerr said it was not necessarily about the money, but that proving the accident was not the fault of the pilots. "It was only Jim's skill that saved us," he said.

FMI: www.aaib.gov.uk