What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2022-05-21 involved a Beechcraft 18 - C18S, registration F-GPHL, at Béziers, FR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The collision was caused by the pilot of the Beechcraft 18 misidentifying an aircraft taking off as the aircraft at the holding point, driven by confirmation bias and a lack of vigilance during taxiing.

Two aircraft collide at Béziers-Vias airport

A collision between a Beechcraft 18 and a Robin DR400 resulted in the destruction of the DR400 during taxiing operations at Béziers-Vias.

What happened

On 21 May 2022, at approximately 13:15 local time, a collision occurred at Béziers-Vias airport involving a Beechcraft 18 (registration HB-GAC) and a Robin DR400-120 (registration F-GPHL).

The pilot of the HB-GAC had completed a stopover at the airport for refueling and was taxiing toward holding point A. At the time, another aircraft, a DR400 (registration F-GBUJ), was positioned on runway 09 and was cleared for takeoff. Simultaneously, the F-GPHL was positioned at holding point A, awaiting clearance.

As the pilot of the HB-GAC turned onto taxiway A, he observed a DR400 taking off. Misinterpreting this aircraft as the one previously identified at the holding point, the pilot assumed the area was clear and continued taxiing. Upon reaching the holding point, the HB-GAC struck the F-GPHL. The impact of the HB-GAC's right engine propeller severed the rear section of the F-GPHL, causing the aircraft to be thrown to the right. The DR400-120 was destroyed in the accident, though no fatalities were reported.

The investigation

The investigation examined the cockpit visibility of the HB-GAC, the communications between the air traffic controller and the pilots, and the sequence of taxiing maneuvers.

Investigators noted that the high nose-up angle of the HB-GAC's fuselage naturally obstructs the pilot's forward view, a factor that typically requires pilots to use a zigzag taxiing pattern to maintain visibility. The investigation also reviewed the controller's actions, noting that while a third aircraft was on the runway, the controller did not provide specific traffic information regarding the aircraft on the runway to the pilot of the HB-GAC, as they did not consider it standard phraseology.

Findings

Several factors contributed to the collision:

The pilot of the HB-GAC experienced confirmation bias; upon seeing a DR400 take off, he incorrectly assumed it was the aircraft he had previously noted at the holding point.
A lack of vigilance by the pilot of the HB-GAC, who felt a sense of overconfidence due to the airport being larger and quieter than his usual operating environment.
Reduced situational awareness potentially caused by a language barrier, as the pilot of the HB-GAC was not fluent in French and the communications between the controller and the other aircraft were conducted in French.
The pilot of the HB-GAC failed to perform a wider turn to check the holding point from the side window, which would have cleared the obstructed forward view.