Beech 77 Skipper Crash in Saultain (F-GIHJ)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On June 28, 2014, a Beech 77 Skipper with registration F-GIHJ crashed in Saultain, France, during a local discovery flight. The aircraft was operated by a flight school and carried a pilot and a passenger, both of whom were killed in the accident. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact. ## Flight Sequence and Witness Accounts The passenger arrived at the flight school around 14:00 local time to occupy the right seat for the discovery flight. The aircraft departed from Valenciennes Denain aerodrome at approximately 14:30. Radio and radar data indicated that the pilot completed an aerodrome circuit before heading east at an altitude of about 1,500 feet. Witnesses in a vehicle traveling east on the D649 observed the aircraft in level flight. They reported that the aircraft subsequently banked left and right before entering a steep nose-down attitude. Another witness, who had heard the engine noise for about ten minutes, noted that the sound varied and that the engine noise continued until the aircraft struck the ground. ## Wreckage and Site Examination The wreckage was found in a wheat field, concentrated over a small area with no obstacles nearby. The aircraft impacted the ground with significant energy and a steep nose-down attitude. The engine was producing power, the flaps were symmetrically retracted, and the flight controls were continuous. No malfunction was identified that could explain the accident. The site observations were consistent with a low-altitude stall. ## Pilot Background and Weather Conditions The 20-year-old pilot held a private pilot license since November 2012 and a commercial pilot license since March 2014. He had a total of 282 flight hours, including 149 hours on type and 37 hours in the preceding three months, with nine of those hours on type. Weather conditions were unstable, with medium clouds, cumulus formations, and showers. The automatic weather station at Valenciennes recorded a wind from 170 degrees at 6 knots and 0.2 mm of rain in the hour preceding the event.