Prosthetic limb pilot crashed at Full Sutton Airfield

Before the accident, the pilot had practised regaining control if his "prosthetic adapter" became detached while flying

A pilot crashed his plane after his artificial limb became detached during landing, an investigation found.

The pilot used a special attachment to fly the light aircraft, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

As he was approaching the runway his "prosthetic adapter" became disconnected from the controls.

The pilot, who met the requirements for medical fitness to fly, was uninjured in the "hard landing".

The Civil Aviation Authority has since announced additional checks for pilots with musculoskeletal disabilities.

The pilot had been flying circuits at Full Sutton Airfield before the accident

The pilot, who had an amputation to his left forearm and had worked as a doctor specialising in prosthetic limbs, had held a flying licence for almost nine years at the time of the accident at Full Sutton Airfield, near York.

He was flying a Jodel D117A, which he was permitted to fly even though it had received no modifications for his disability.

Instead, the pilot had drawn on his experience working in prosthetic rehabilitation to make a bespoke adapter which connected to the control column, investigators said.

However, on 8 April last year, this became detached when the pilot was about 5ft above the ground.

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The aircraft came down heavily, striking the ground, causing damage to the landing gear, engine and propeller.

The AAIB report said the adapter was described as "solid" and "well made".

The Civil Aviation Authority now requires an engineering assessment of the interface between any prosthesis and the aircraft flying controls.

Following the accident, the pilot, who was unnamed in the official report, added a Velcro strip to the prosthetic adapter to make it more secure.