Lanwmower Down at Sherburn in Elmet

[mightynimbus]

The second of the much hyped (by the committee chairman anyway) AT3's has bit the dust, engine problem on final, turned away and landed in a field (because of wires on the undershoot) as with a lot vof these types of microlights, ended up upside down with the pilot unable to get out due to the lift up canopy. Pilot released by rescue crew from airfield (well done boys) and was virually unhurt, Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended but went away empy.

Not cynical, but this is what happens when you get tugged around the sky by Bombardier/Rotax snowmobile engines. Time to get rid don't you think Mr Non Black?

oh, the other one was dinged on landing by a committee member!

[Cows getting bigger]

Bit of axe grinding there? Will this accident be used as another excuse for Sherburn to go into self-destruct mode?

I think you will find the AT-3 is a VLA, not a microlight and there is nothing wrong with Rotax engines if they are maintained properly. I would happily sit behind one every day.

[englishal]

Never flown one, but the impression I get of them is:

Quiet
Reasonably quick
Good fuel economy
reliable
Fun

In otherwords much better than a lot of this Lycoming powered junk that trawls the sky.

[julian_storey]

I think that some of the older Rotax two strokes can be a bit iffy, but there's nowt wrong with the four stroke 912 that's in things like AT3 and the Diamond Katana.

[liam548]

Saw the aircraft in the field when coming into land today, must have happened short time prior to this.

Saw the pilot short time afterwards. Very pleased he has walked away! well done to him for avoiding the wires.

My first lesson at Sherby was in G-SACY, after trying both I preferred the PA28.

[airborne_artist]

Not cynical, but this is what happens when you get tugged around the sky by Bombardier/Rotax snowmobile engines.

Not cynical?

I'd be inclined to wait for the outcome of the investigation before assigning blame on anything/anyone. Aircraft fall out of the sky for all sorts of reasons, and to blame the donkey because you a) don't like that brand and b) think you know all about the incident is not really sensible - remember, ill-informed journos read almost everything on here, and before you know it you'll have "Local airfield uses aircraft with deathtrap-engines" headlines.

Hope you re-think, and perhaps edit your post.

[Lister Noble]

Blimey mate,get a life!
Someone has just survived an accident,we don't know what happened and this is not the time or place for snide comments.
Lister

[Rod1]

The Rotax 912s in the AT3 was specifically designed as an aircraft engine and is certified. Most of the old American designs started life as a ground power units and were then modified for aircraft use. Hope the maintenance is being done by Rotax savvy engineers as it is a very different beast from a 1940’s US design.

Rod1

[jonkil]

What a lovely title for a thread.
Then all us "lawnmower" pilots wouldn't be worthy of any respect, would we... I mean we can only do a few runs a year to Europe and from the north of Scotland to the Isle of Wight a couple of times a year and such small danders like that, well then again you must make the suit according to your cloth, seeing we are based relatively close to mainland Europe up here in North West Ireland. I suppose anywhere in the UK mainland for a Saturday run will have to suffice for us, then again we cannot really do much more than that, we are only VFR fellas !!!

Do you get many circuits in of a Saturday evening ?

[Captain-Random]

Poor G-SACY Looks a bit of a mess.

Pilot walks away from crash at Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield (From York Press)

[Sir George Cayley]

Oi ! Some of my best Tits are friends

Sir George Cayley

[jetranger_pilot]

What a shame!

Thankfully Pilot is ok. Its a shame when any flying machine is destroyed what ever its motive force or aircraft type.

Stop having a go at sherburn, It has a very wide range of people with very different opinions, non the less it provides a good flying club at relatively reasonable prices with a good mix of planes.

I have flown there for over 30 years and while I do not always agree with the committee or some of the decisions they make, running a flying club for non profit with 700 members can not be easy. I would not like too do it.