Air-taxi startup Vertical to pause flight tests after crash

The crash of Vertical Aerospace Ltd.’s only electric air-taxi prototype this week will force the startup to pause flight tests until regulators complete an investigation.

The VX4, a five-person tilt-rotor craft, crashed on Aug. 9 during a flight test at Cotswold Airport, the U.K. company said in a regulatory filing this week. The exercise was meant to test maneuverability during a staged motor failure, a key requirement to progress to crewed operations. 

The incident leaves Vertical without an operable aircraft as it seeks to progress toward commercialization of its air taxis and raise more money later this year. Ground tests are likely to continue. 

Photos from the scene “depicted the vehicle as having incurred significant damage,” with the nose and at least one of the tilt-rotors making hard contact with the ground, Canaccord analyst Austin Moeller wrote in a research note.