AAIB investigation to Rotorsport UK MTOsport, G-RMTO
Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), Great Knoutberry Hill, Cumbria, 29 April 2017.
Summary:
The pilot and passenger took off from Oxenho pe Airfield, West Yorkshire, at 1330 hrs with the intention of flying to the north to watch some fell running races. At the time of departure, the pilot reported that the weather was good, with a light breeze which he estimated at 7 to 12 mph from the south-west and an overcast layer of high level cloud.
He approached, at 1,700 ft amsl and over lower ground, the general area of Great Knoutberry Hill, which has an elevation 2,205 ft, before he changed direction to fly towards the hill. The pilot then realised that his airspeed had decayed from 70 mph to approximately 55 to 60 mph and that he was below the summit of the hill. He applied full power and climbed, but the aircraft failed to clear a fence on top of the summit and impacted the ground. The uninjured pilot and passenger, who were wearing full harnesses and helmets, were able to vacate the wreckage without assistance. The recently qualified pilot attributed the accident to his lack of experience in hill flying and failure to adequately monitor his airspeed.
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