What happened
On February 21, 2016, a Jodel 1056 M, registration F-PJIC, crashed during the initial climb from Vinon aerodrome. The pilot, an experienced aviator with over 20,000 flight hours, was conducting a local flight to test the aircraft following the recent installation of new landing skis.
Witnesses observed the aircraft take off normally from runway 28. However, after reaching an altitude of approximately 40 to 50 meters, the aircraft began to bank slightly to the right and pitch downward. One witness noted that the aircraft's behavior resembled an engine failure maneuver. The aircraft struck the ground approximately 850 meters after liftoff, just to the right of the runway axis, and subsequently caught fire. The impact was so severe that the one fatality was unavoidable.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage and the flight controls to determine the cause of the loss of control. Investigators confirmed that the flight controls remained functional across all three axes (pitch, roll, and yaw) prior to the impact. Deformations found on the left rudder pedals suggested significant physical effort by the pilot to maintain control.
While the engine components were heavily damaged by the post-impact fire, preliminary examinations of the piston and bearings suggested a possible loss of power, though this could not be definitively confirmed. The investigation also focused on the aircraft's landing gear, specifically the newly installed skis and the rear landing gear assembly. The investigators noted that the blind nuts used to secure the rear gear strut did not allow for the use of safety wire.