Burrell, Grant Allan - Non-inquest findings
Deceased
Grant Allan Burrell
Demographics
35y, male
Date of death
2015-11-07
Finding date
2017-02-16
Cause of death
Massive head injury, pelvic and lower limb injuries sustained in gyroplane crash due to flying too low and too slow at insufficient altitude and airspeed
AI-generated summary
Grant Allan Burrell, a 35-year-old gyroplane pilot with only 26.2 hours total flying experience (11 hours dual, 15.2 hours solo), died in a crash while conducting low-level cattle mustering. He had owned the aircraft for approximately 2 months. The crash occurred when flying at 6-10 metres above treeline attempting a tight left turn—conditions the aircraft was not designed for. Key clinical lessons: inadequate training for specialized operations, pilot inexperience in high-risk activities, and lack of appreciation for aircraft limitations at low altitude/slow speed. The Sport Copter is designed for point-to-point flight at 1000 feet and lacks power for low-level mustering. Contributing factors included recent pilot certification, three-week gap since last flight, higher-than-optimal air temperature (12°C above 15°C ideal), and perhaps overconfidence despite being meticulous about maintenance.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Pilot inexperience (only 26.2 hours total flying time)
- Aircraft used for unintended purpose (low-level cattle mustering)
- Flying too low (6-10 metres above treeline)
- Excessive bank angle during tight left turn
- Insufficient altitude and airspeed recovery margin
- Three-week gap since last logged flight
- Air temperature 12 degrees above optimum (27°C vs 15°C ideal)
- Dense landscape with poor visibility ('mulga' trees)
- Aircraft design inadequate for low-level variable-altitude operations
Coroner's recommendations
- More comprehensive training be provided to prospective gyroplane pilots, emphasizing risks of flying too low and too slow
- Training should include adequate instruction on aircraft limitations and the specific hazards of low-level operations
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