History of the Flight
On Tuesday, 12 October 2010, a Robin DR400-180 aircraft, registration F-GJLM, departed from Lezignan-Corbieres Airport in southern France at 10:36 local time with three persons on board. The aircraft was participating in the 18-day Raid Latecoere benefit air race, with a final destination of Saint-Louis Airport in Senegal. The race originally planned to cross the peninsula via the east coast but was delayed due to weather. On 11 October, the participants decided to reroute north of the Pyrenees to Biarritz and San Sebastian Airport (LESO) for refueling, then continue to Salamanca Airport (LESA). On 12 October, all aircraft departed; F-GJLM took off sixth. The race organizer verified weather at Biarritz and instructed the others to depart. All aircraft were equipped with satellite tracking (GPS). The accident aircraft flew westward toward Biarritz VOR/DME until 12:00, when it turned south toward the Pyrenees instead of continuing southwest to San Sebastian.
Personnel Information
The three occupants were all pilots holding private pilot licenses, none rated for instrument flight. They were aged 77, 70, and 58. The flight plan indicated the 77-year-old as pilot, but a photograph taken before takeoff and a notebook entry revealed the 70-year-old was in the pilot's seat. Their flight experience was: the pilot (70) had 618 total hours (166 dual, 452 pilot-in-command), the 77-year-old had 841 hours (134 dual, 707 PIC), and the 58-year-old had 714 hours (54 dual, 660 PIC). The pilot had flown 11 hours in the last three months.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft, a Pierre Robin DR400-180, had 3,757 total hours at the time of the accident. The Lycoming O-360-A engine had 5,160 total hours. The aircraft had flown 80 hours in the last year and had undergone a 50-hour inspection on 5 October 2010, a 500-hour inspection on 8 July 2010, and a 50-hour inspection on 24 October 2009.
Meteorological Information
Individuals who discovered the aircraft reported dense fog at the accident site with visibility below 20 meters. Civil Guard and Regional Police Forces arriving at around 13:00 also reported dense fog. The 13:00 METEOSAT image showed the sky over the Baztán valley was covered by low clouds.
Flight Path and Communications
Radar data showed the aircraft's final 17 minutes. At 12:00, it turned south after reaching Biarritz, following road N121B to Elizondo at 2,200 ft. At 12:11, it flew over Elizondo at 1,700 ft, then turned north along the same road, climbing to 2,200 ft. From 12:13 to 12:15:55, it performed a full turn climbing to 3,500 ft. Then it headed northeast descending to 3,200 ft. The aircraft made three transmissions to San Sebastian Tower: at 12:15:55 (French), 12:16:27 (French), and 12:17:26 (English), reporting altitude 3,500 ft and speed 100 kt, then 3,400 ft and 100 kt, then 3,300 ft and 120 kt. The crew did not declare an emergency. After the last transmission, the aircraft headed northwest and then south, descending from 2,200 to 2,000 ft at 140 kt. The last valid radar echo was at 12:17:28 at 2,000 ft and 140 kt. The aircraft failed to respond to subsequent calls. Two pilots from other race aircraft heard the crew state they were in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft struck the northeast face of Alkurruntz Mountain at an elevation of 1,710 ft. The terrain was steep, with surrounding peaks at 2,300, 2,800 (Alkurruntz), and 3,000 ft. The wreckage indicated a high-speed frontal impact. The aircraft first struck a tree, losing its wings, then hit the mountainside. The wooden and fabric aircraft broke into small pieces scattered over up to 68 m. The three occupants' remains were found 51 to 68 m from the tree. The propeller, still attached to the crankshaft, showed evidence of overloading bending stress, indicating the engine was under power at impact. The engine showed no signs of pre-impact failure. The anemometer needles indicated 130 kt at impact.