Date:	Sunday 9 March 1969
Time:	14:24
Type:	Brooklands Mosquito Mk II Gyroplane
Owner/operator:	Ernest Brooks
Registration:	G-AVYW
MSN:	4
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Tees-Side Airport, Middleton St.George, Darlington, Co.Durham, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:	Teesside Airport, Middleton St. George, County Durham (EGNV)
Destination airport:	Teesside Airport, Middleton St. George, County Durham (EGNV)
Investigating agency:	AIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Brooklands Mosquito Mk II Gyroplane G-AVYW: First registered (C of R R.9937/1) to Ernest Brooks, Tudhoe, Spennymoor, County Durham.

Written off (destroyed) when crashed 9/3/1969 at Tees-Side Airport, Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham, while giving a demonstration flight, killing the pilot/owner/designer Ernest Brooks (39). According a contemporary press report:

"Mosquito gyroplane accident

The report on the fatal accident involving the Brooklands Mosquito Mk 2 gyroplane G-AVYW in March 1969 concludes that there is insufficient evidence to establish the cause of the accident.

In the report, however, the Chief Inspector of Accidents considers it likely that instability of the rotor in the pitching plane at the high end of the speed range was a significant factor. The aircraft went out of control in a zoom during a demonstration flight at Teesside airport. The blades of the rotor disintegrated after striking the tail unit.

No evidence was found of pilot incapacity or failure of the aircraft prior to its having gone out of control. Witnesses agreed that the aircraft dived shallowly to a height of 100-150 feet and flew level at about 80 mph before pulling up steeply to 250-300 feet. One witness thought that the pilot then attempted to loop, while two others believed the aircraft performed a partial bunt. It was at this point that a bang occurred and the aircraft somersaulted out of control into the ground.

The report notes that in the course of its investigation there, have been three further gyroplane accidents involving collision between the rotor and the tail. No evidence so far has come to light to indicate the cause of this, but the report goes on to say that it may be significant' that in this case and in two other instances there was evidence that the aircraft was operating outside the normally accepted range of manoeuvre. It also noted that the type of spherical bearing in the rotor head was not suitable".

Registration G-AVYW cancelled by the CAA on 9/3/1969 as "destroyed"

1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422f33fed915d1374000457/16-1971_G-AVYW.pdf
2. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AVYW.pdf
3. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1972/1972
4. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1329341/ (Photograph taken just before the owner/designer Ernest Brooks was tragically killed flying this Gyroplane)
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File DR 11/59: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1200956
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 101/631 to AVIA 101/638 inclusive (9 files): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5070645
8. G-AVYW at RAF Finningley 18/9/1968: https://flickr.com/photos/jtboldon/5364588215/
8. Hamburger Abendblatt 10 March 1969.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-May-2008 11:47	harro	Added
29-Sep-2009 04:29	Anon.	Updated
15-Jul-2012 16:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
07-Aug-2015 22:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative]
17-Oct-2015 16:49	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
08-Mar-2018 19:42	TB	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
30-Sep-2020 18:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Accident report]
30-Sep-2020 18:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Accident report]
30-Sep-2020 18:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, Accident report]
25-Nov-2020 23:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Accident report]
06-Jun-2021 08:51	TB	Updated [Location, Operator]