A 61-YEAR-OLD veteran flier died after his gyrocopter crashed into woodland.

The man, named as Dave Chaplin, from Borrowby, near Thirsk, died at the scene.

His gyrocopter crashed shortly after taking off from the Yorkshire Gliding Club's airfield at Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, last week.

It came down just before 2pm on Wednesday in woodland near the White Horse monument, which lies directly below the airfield.

The crash site could be accessed only on foot but, according to North Yorkshire Police, firefighters and paramedics were at the scene quickly following the accident. It is not yet known what caused the craft to crash.

The site was cordoned off by police, who carried out investigations at the scene. The Air Accident Information Branch has been informed of the incident.

Mr Chaplin, who was married with grown-up children, was a former chairman of the Yorkshire Gliding Club and worked at the Sutton Bank airfield.

He was well respected in gliding circles and officials from the region's clubs were shocked at the news of his death.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said there had apparently been a number of witnesses to the accident."

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: "The gyrocopter had just taken off from the top of Sutton Bank and crashed into the trees at Hood Grange Wood."

Gyrocopters, also known at autogyros, are a type of aircraft that look like a cross between an aeroplane and a helicopter.

The craft was made famous when it was used by James Bond in the film You Only Live Twice.