Wasp-sting pilot ‘compromised safety’

A pilot had a near miss at 500ft after being stung by a wasp in the cockpit. The wasp flew into the Eurofox light aircraft before it took off to tow a glider for Herefordshire Gliding Club.

As the pilot tried to shake it off, they flew “closer than ideal” to an MTO Sport Gyroplane whose pilot had seen the Eurofox late.

The UK Airprox Board said the pilot had “compromised safety” by getting too close to the gyroplane while trying to land at Shobdon Airfield, near Leominster last September. To avoid a crash, the Eurofox pilot climbed to 1,000ft.

The investigators concluded that there had been no risk of a collision.