Safety of gyro craft in spotlight

Report on fatal crash indicates dangers in spraying of crops

IN THE wake of a fatal gyrocopter crash near Patensie two years ago, the head of civil aviation has been asked to review operational procedures for such aircraft used in crop-spraying.

The request follows a recommendation by South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) investigators, who released their findings as part of an investigation into the gyrocopter crash that killed Marco Martino, 23, in September 2015.

Martino, who was from France, was carrying out crop-spraying flights for farmers in the Gamtoos Valley, about 25km outside Patensie.

The 12-page crash report, which was released on Tuesday, states that the probable cause of the accident was the gyrocopter’s rotor blades hitting a tree, causing Martino to lose control of his aircraft.

The crash site was on the side of a mountain, about 500m from the orchard he was spraying.

On impact with the ground, a fuel-fed fire erupted, but Martino managed to escape the wreck with severe burns over about 80% of his body.

“The farmers in the area noticed smoke and instantly rushed to the mountainside, upon which they walked to the site of the accident where they found the pilot approximately 20 metres from the wreckage,” the report states.

“The pilot was carried to flat ground, whereafter he was taken to a nearby hospital still conscious.”

Martino died in a Port Elizabeth hospital hours later of extensive burns and inhalation issues.

In the report, investigators call on Civil Aviation Authority director Poppy Khoza to review the operation protocols for gyrocopters used for crop-spraying due to several accidents during low-level spraying.

“The findings contained in the report highlight some of the safety concerns relating to the operation of gyro aircraft in crop-spraying, among others, low-level flying and at low speed during crop-spraying,” the report says.

“This goes against the [gyrocopter] manufacturer’s recommendation that this aircraft must not be flown below 500 feet [152.4m] at speeds slower than 65 knots [120.4km/h].”

CAA spokesman Kabelo Ledwaba failed to reply to queries by the time of going to print.

The findings in the report highlight some of the safety concerns