Region

Crash of a Beechcraft 3NMT Expeditor in Bastia

Date & Time: Sep 14, 2021 at 1025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
G-BKGL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
A-764
YOM:
1952
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bastia-Poretta Airport Runway 16, while in initial climb, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation and apparently attempted an emergency landing when the twin engine aircraft crashed in a plantation located 1,5 km south of the airport. The airplane slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All three occupants were rescued, one was uninjured while both others were seriously injured due to burns. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage in Courchevel: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 2021 at 1130 LT
Operator:
Registration:
F-HYGA
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cannes - Courchevel
MSN:
46-36483
YOM:
2010
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Upon landing on runway 22 at Courchevel Altiport, the single engine aircraft crashed and came to rest, bursting into flames. Fire was quickly extinguished but the airplane was damaged beyond repair. One occupants was killed while two others were seriously injured.

Crash of a Cessna T303 Crusader in Annecy

Date & Time: Dec 4, 2020 at 1550 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HB-LUV
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marseille - Annecy
MSN:
303-00058
YOM:
1981
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1077
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Marseille-Provence Airport on a private flight to Annecy. En route, while cruising at FL110, the pilot was informed about the weather conditions at destination with a braking coefficient considered as medium due to a wet runway. After being cleared to land on runway 04, the pilot continued the approach but landed half way down the runway at a speed of 119 knots. After touchdown, he initiated the braking procedure but the airplane suffered an aquaplaning and was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, impacted an embankment, went trough a fence and came to rest on a road. While both passengers aged 26 and 28 were slightly injured, the pilot aged 70 was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of the combination of the following factors:
- The pilot initiated the descent too late, causing the aircraft to approach well above the glide,
- The pilot continued the approach with an unstabilized airplane nor in speed nor on the glide,
- The airplane landed halfway down the runway, reducing the landing distance available,
- The speed upon touchdown was recorded at 119 knots, 30 knots above the recommended speed in the flight manual,
- The braking coefficient was considered as medium because of a wet runway surface,
- The airplane suffered an aquaplaning effect when the pilot initiated the braking procedure.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-46R-350T Matrix in Vannes

Date & Time: Oct 5, 2020 at 1415 LT
Registration:
N898BB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vannes - La Môle
MSN:
46-92057
YOM:
2008
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
845
Captain / Total hours on type:
565.00
Circumstances:
On the morning of the day of the accident, the pilot, accompanied by a passenger, flew under IFR flight mode from La Môle (83) to Quiberon (56). The flight took 3 hours and 40 minutes and the return was scheduled in the afternoon. After landing in Quiberon, the pilot learned that there was no possibility to refuel with AVGAS, information that was not specified by NOTAM. The pilot then decided to refuel at Vannes-Meucon Airport before leaving to St Tropez-La Môle. He said he was upset by this situation and by the bad weather conditions in the area. During the pre-flight visit to Quiberon, the pilot added oil. He indicates that he also carried out a pre-flight inspection before takeoff from Vannes. During the takeoff roll from runway 22 at Vannes-Meucon Airport, the rotation took place in the first third of the runway. Just after liftoff, he saw the engine cowling open. He immediately thaught he forgot to tighten the dipstick and decided to abort the takeoff and landed on the remaining runway. The runway being long, he believed he can stop before the runway end. He put the power levers in the "full, reduced and choke" position and tried to land the plane quickly. As the aircraft already reached a high speed, it landed 200 metres short of runway end and deviated longitudinally and crossed the runway end safety area, known as RESA. It came to a stop a 100 metres further on an embankment. The left wing was partially torn off and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. There was no fire. Both occupants escaped uninjured.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 340A in Orléans

Date & Time: Aug 10, 2020 at 1355 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N413JF
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Perpignan – Orléans
MSN:
340A-0746
YOM:
1979
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2635
Captain / Total hours on type:
41.00
Circumstances:
Then twin engine airplane departed Perpignan-La Llabanère Airport on a private flight to Orléans, carrying one passenger and one pilot. On final approach to Orléans-Loiret Airport (ex Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel), the pilot encountered a loss of power on the left engine. He attempted an emergency landing when the airplane impacted trees and crash landed in a wooded area located about 3 km short of runway 23, bursting into flames. Both occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the loss of power on the left engine could not be determined. The pilot, concentrating on monitoring the approach parameters, did not immediately realize the left engine malfunction. He noticed that the aircraft's rate of descent was too high to follow the standard approach slope. The pilot first attempted to go around and reconfigured the aircraft to do so by retracting the landing gear and flaps. In spite of these actions, the pilot noticed that the power delivered by the aircraft's engines did not allow him to recover the plane and understood, by being aware of the action of his right foot on the rudder pedal, that the power delivered by the left engine was abnormally low. Given the low height of the plane at the time of this observation, the pilot decided to land in the country. Contributing to the high rate of descent after the occurrence of the left engine malfunction was the fact that the drags were extended at the time the engine power decreased and the fact that the left propeller probably windmilling until the landing.
Final Report: