What happened
On May 23, 2015, a Cessna 172 S, registration F-GPBD, was performing a navigation flight from Arcachon - La Teste-de-Buch to Sainte-Foy-la-Grande. Upon arriving at the Sainte-Foy-la-Grande aerodrome, the pilot entered the circuit and prepared for landing on runway 28.
During the final approach, the pilot experienced significant turbulence, causing the aircraft to drop below the approach path and lose visual reference to the runway. As the aircraft touched down, it began to veer to the right. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied heavy left rudder, which caused the aircraft to swing sharply to the left. The aircraft exited the runway 200 meters further down, crossed a taxiway, and came to a stop against a safety barrier. The aircraft sustained heavy damage, but there were no fatalities among the pilot and three passengers.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, the aerodrome layout, and the meteorological conditions. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's mechanical systems were fully functional, with no failures found in the wreckage.
Meteorological data at the time indicated visibility of over 10 km and a wind from 330° to 360° at 10 to 15 knots, with gusts reaching 15 to 20 knots. The investigation also noted that the aerodrome's visual approach chart (VAC) contains a specific warning regarding strong turbulence during north winds due to local terrain and forest. Furthermore, the pilot's flight manual specifies a maximum demonstrated crosswind component of 15 knots for landing and recommends using minimal flap settings during strong crosswind landings.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the loss of control during the landing roll due to a crosswind.
- The pilot failed to execute a go-around despite the approach becoming destabilized by turbulence during the final stage.
- The use of full flaps, rather than the minimal setting recommended for high crosswind conditions, contributed to the difficulty in maintaining directional control.
- An inappropriate rudder input (over-correction) occurred due to the pilot being startled and stressed by the sudden deviation of the aircraft.