By David Kaminski-Morrow2021-05-03T08:41:00+01:00
Hydrogen-electric propulsion specialist ZeroAvia believes its ambitions to develop larger commercial aircraft will not be adversely affected, as it probes the accident which badly damaged its single-engined test airframe.
The six-seat modified Piper M350 was wrecked as it landed in a field near the UK’s Cranfield airport on 29 April, during a test flight under its HyFlyer demonstration programme.
ZeroAvia acknowledges the immediate interruption to its activities, saying the accident and the investigation will “undoubtedly disrupt” the HyFlyer-1 schedule. The programme was supposed to draw to a close over the next few weeks.
But it adds that it does not expect “any negative impact” on its follow-up HyFlyer-2 initiative which will explore 10- to 20-seat aircraft. Nor does it foresee any effects on its ambitions to develop larger engines for aircraft of 50 seats.
ZeroAvia HyFlyer makes forced landing in field
3rd May 2021 13:53 Europe/London
ZeroAvia’s hydrogen fuel cell powered Piper Malibus test aircraft made a forced landing just outside Cranfield Airport during a routine test flight on 29 April.
The Cranfield-based company said, “The aircraft landed normally on its wheels in a flat grass field and almost came to a stop, but was damaged as it caught the left main gear and wing in the uneven terrain at the end of the field at low speed.
“Everybody involved is safe, and without injury. The incident was immediately reported to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), and the Fire Service attended on the ground, as is the standard procedure.”