Thanks for your concern Loose Nut, but it wasn't me.
I know the pilot's name, but have never met him and don't know his experience either generally or on type.
What I do know is that he'd gone through a thorough training programme with an experienced instructor when he bought his Gazelle and, most important of all, that he walked away from the crash.
It
appears from what I've been told that it was pilot error but, even if it was, we should be very careful about jumping to conclusions about the Gazelle as a type based on a few incidents. Isn't that the sort of thing we criticise the tabloids for doing?
The Gazelle is high profile at the moment because so many have suddenly come onto the market. If this had been another type, would we be having this discussion?
I'm obviously biased, but I don't agree with Brother's suggestion that the Gazelle should be restricted to high hours professionals. I accept there's a world of difference between being a professional and an amateur pilot, but the Gazelle was designed as a trainer and sold to civvy buyers as well as mil. It's fast, but not a complex type and, although not as benign as the B206, is much more forgiving than the type most popular amongst PPLs.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that this was a landing accident. If the pilot made a mistake, we should be synpathetic to him. He's not the first and he won't be the last - PPL or professional.
There but for the grace of God?
Edited for typos. I posted at the end of a very long day.
