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:

Crash of a Grumman S-2 Tracker in Générac: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 2019 at 1718 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBAA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nîmes - Nîmes
MSN:
456
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
Pélican 22
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
4854
Captain / Total hours on type:
830.00
Aircraft flight hours:
15050
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Nîmes-Garons Airport at 1648LT on a fire fighting mission over Générac, a village located about 5 km southwest of the airbase. While approaching the zone to be treated, the twin engine airplane struck trees and crashed, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and the pilot was killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to thick smoke.
Probable cause:
The following findings were identified:
- GASC (Groupement d’avions de la sécurité civile) has a small resource of Tracker pilots;
- Without a co-pilot, the pilot is deprived of the usual cross-checking of piloting decisions and actions;
- The pilot has little experience on established firefighting missions. He has never carried out a mission of this nature in a single-pilot aircraft;
- Certain limitations of the flight envelope are unknown to pilots, particularly at high weight and in steep turns;
- Pilots have little knowledge of the aerological phenomena associated with certain fires, and the associated turbulence;
- With the implementation of the Tracker withdrawal, pilots are concerned about their future within the GASC;
- Fatigued from sustained activity, the pilot had a false understanding of the situation;
- The pilot suffered from overconfidence;
- The pilot did not perceive the terrain. He flew a little low as he approached the hill ;
- He adopted a trajectory very close to the flame front and did not anticipate the risk of turbulence;
- Focused on a dwelling to protect, he did not detect the inappropriate altitude of his plane and maintained a strong bank;
- The left wing underwent a local stall causing a steep left bank, which caused the pilot to recover the aircraft too low in relation to the height of the trees, which he had a false idea of.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Limoges

Date & Time: Aug 21, 2018 at 1525 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-HGPS
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Limoges - Limoges
MSN:
31-245
YOM:
1968
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1250
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane, owned by IMAO specialized in aerial photo missions, departed Limoges-Bellegarde Airport at 1009LT with one pilot (the Director of the Company, aged 58) and a female operator in charge of the aerial photo program. The goal of the mission was to fly over the sector of Peyrelevade at 7,000 feet then a second sector over Ussel at an altitude of 6,500 feet. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot return to Limoges, contacted ATC and was instructed to recall for a right base leg approach for a landing on runway 03. Two minutes after passing the altitude of 3,000 feet on approach, the pilot informed ATC he was short of fuel and that he was attempting an emergency landing. The airplane impacted trees and crashed in a field located near Verneuil-sur-Vienne, some 3,6 short of runway 03. Both occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion following a flight of five hours and 15 minutes.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ2+ in Saint-Tropez

Date & Time: Jun 6, 2018 at 1310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
D-IULI
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Figari - Saint-Tropez
MSN:
525A-0514
YOM:
2013
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2500
Captain / Total hours on type:
1234.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Figari-Sud-Corse Airport on a positioning flight to Saint-Tropez-La Môle, carrying one passenger and one pilot. Weather conditions at destination were poor with ceiling at 1,800 feet and rain. The pilot contacted Nice Approach and was cleared to descend to 6,000 feet and to report over EM for an approach to La Môle Airport Runway 24. On final approach, the pilot was unable to establish a visual contact with the runway and initiated a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, he completed a second approach and landed the airplane 200 metres past the runway threshold at a speed of 136 knots. Spoilers were deployed but the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It veered slightly to the left, departed the end of the runway, crossed a river and came to rest against an embankment located about 100 metres past the runway end. The pilot escaped unhurt while the passenger was slighlty injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The landing distance of the airplane on a wet runway as defined in the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) performance tables are not compatible with the length of runway available at La Môle Aaerodrome. When preparing the flight, the pilot used the flight record provided by the operator ProAir to determine landing performance. Landing distance on a wet runway presented in the file increased that on a dry runway by 15%. The 15% increase on a wet runway can only be used in conjunction with the increase of 60% imposed in commercial operation, otherwise it may be inappropriate. The value resulting from the calculation was, in this case, wrong and less than the value indicated in the aircraft flight manual. The pilot probably did not use the EFB application for the calculation of performance or the flight manual to verify this value. The pilot thus undertook the flight on the basis of erroneous performance values, without realizing that he could not land at this aerodrome if the runway was wet. In addition, during the final approach, the speed of the aircraft was greater than the speed approach reference and the approach slope was also greater than the nominal slope, which resulted in an increase in the landing distance. During the landing roll, the aircraft exited the runway longitudinally at a speed of 41 kt. The pilot failed to stop the aircraft until it does not violently collide with obstacles at the end of the track.
Contributing factors:
- The operator's use of the same operations manual for two different types of operations;
- The absence in the operations manual of a calculation method, coefficient and safety margin for the calculation of performance in non-commercial transport;
- Lack of knowledge by the pilot and the operator of the method of calculation of landing performance in non-commercial transport;
- The lack of indication in the operations manual that the landing performances at La Môle aerodrome are limiting in case of a wet or contaminated runway.
Final Report:

Crash of a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo Porter in Grenoble

Date & Time: Mar 15, 2018 at 1215 LT
Registration:
F-BTCG
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Grenoble - Grenoble
MSN:
551
YOM:
1963
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2000
Captain / Total hours on type:
500.00
Aircraft flight hours:
12260
Circumstances:
The pilot, accompanied by an aircraft mechanic, departed Grenoble-Aples-Isère Airport (saint-Geoirs) to carry out a check flight following a maintenance operation on the airplane. Once in an open area south of the aerodrome, the pilot began the maneuvers provided for in the test program. At the end of a stall maneuver, he found that his actions on the rudder pedals have no effect. However, it maintained control of the ailerons and elevators. He informed the aerodrome controller of the problem and indicated that he was coming back to to land to the paved runway 09. Unable to determined the exact nature of the damage, the pilot chose to land with the flaps retracted. He managed with difficulty to aligne the airplane witn the runway 09 centerline. On final, at an altitude of 300 feet, the pilot changed his mind and decided to land on the unpaved right-hand runway 09 which adjoins the paved runway. On very short final, at flare, while reducing power, at a height of about 1-2 metres, the airplane rolled to the right then to the left, causing the wing tips and the propeller to struck the ground. The aircraft exited the unpaved runway to the left and came to rest on the right edge of the paved runway. Both occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The rudder control broke in flight, causing a significant alteration of the aircraft yaw controllability. This failure considerably increased the pilot's workload and stress. In these conditions, it became difficult for him to keep the airplane aligned with the runway centreline upon landing. Monitoring the alignment of the aircraft was done to the detriment of the speed. It is very likely that the oscillations during the final step resulted from a stall of the aircraft at low speed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage off Cannes

Date & Time: Aug 31, 2015 at 0855 LT
Operator:
Registration:
D-ESPE
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cannes – Triengen
MSN:
46-22063
YOM:
1989
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
18213
Captain / Total hours on type:
900.00
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Cannes-Mandelieu Airport on a private flight to Triengen, Switzerland, with one passenger and one pilot on board. Shortly after takeoff from runway 17, while in initial climb, the pilot noticed engine troubles and the speed dropped. He was able to maintain a straight-in path and eventually ditched the airplane few hundred metres offshore. Both occupants were slightly injured and the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
The engine failure was the result of an incorrect refueling, due to an intake initial order probably incorrect that the incomplete application of procedures by the operator in charge of refueling and the lack of attention of the pilot did not allow recovery. The quantity of 100LL present in the feeders and the pipes allowed the taxiing and the take-off run, without the pilot noticing any anomaly. Once this quantity of 100LL consumed, the JET A1 present in the lower part of the tanks fed the engine and caused the power decrease.
Contributed to the accident:
- Coordination between the aerodrome operator and its subcontractors during the fuel order taken by the ramp agent, who does not encourage the operator in charge of refueling to confirm the type of fuel in a service carried out under strong time constraints,
- A usual practice for refueling certain types of helicopters, whose reservoir ports are not compatible with the dimensions of the standard refueling nozzles, which trivialize the change of nozzle for the refueling of JET A1, occasionally leading to the filling of order confirmation vouchers, thus reducing the effectiveness of the manifest safety for the operator through the presence of keying devices specific to each fuel,
- The ineffectiveness of the fuel type check item of the pre-flight procedure.
Final Report: