Flight History
The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, departed Muret-Lherm aerodrome around 14:30 local time, heading for Sainte-Léocadie (Pyrénées-Orientales). The pilot checked in on the radio frequency and announced a right-hand base leg for a touch-and-go on runway 07. The aircraft touched down at the runway threshold, then the pilot applied engine power abeam the aero club. The aircraft rotated just before a helicopter landing pad. It skimmed trees at the end of runway 07 and lost altitude in the Saillagouse basin with a nose-up attitude. The pilot reported power problems over the radio. The aircraft turned left, still nose-up; the pilot lost control during the turn. The aircraft struck the ground and immediately caught fire.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Cessna 172RG Cutlass (registration F-GEJD) with retractable landing gear and a variable-pitch propeller, powered by a 180-hp Lycoming O-360-F1A6 engine. The pilot, aged 55, held a private pilot license issued in September 2018, with just over 200 flight hours (about 100 as pilot-in-command). He did not hold a mountain rating. He had purchased the aircraft at the end of January 2019 and received training on it from an instructor, obtaining the retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propeller endorsement. At the end of February 2019, he had landed three times at Sainte-Léocadie on a DR400-180 with a mountain instructor and received authorization to use the site. He had not returned to the aerodrome until the accident day. The passenger, aged 27, held a microlight license since June 2019 and was training for passenger-carrying privileges.
Environmental Conditions
The aerodrome, Sainte-Léocadie (LFYS), is a restricted-use field with a grass runway 07/25, 800 m long and 90 m wide, with a positive slope of about 3.4%. The VAC chart advised landing on runway 07 due to slope and prohibited touch-and-go on runway 07. The aerodrome is reserved for based pilots or those with a mountain rating or 100 flight hours meeting specific conditions.
Weather information from the CVM weather station indicated wind 180° at 10 kt, gusting 20 kt. Météo-France reported east to south-easterly wind initially, veering south, with gusts occasionally reaching 25 kt. A Foehn effect generated moderate turbulence with stationary rotors; conditions were not conducive to carburetor icing. The QNH was 1013 hPa. Temperatures at nearby stations were about 18°C and 15°C.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was located on a hillside about two kilometers northeast of Sainte-Léocadie at an altitude of 1,295 m. It was heavily damaged by fire and all in one place. Examination found flight controls continuous, flaps retracted, and landing gear probably retracted. The engine was severely damaged; mechanical assemblies rotated freely, but the rear accessory case and carburetor had melted. The position and continuity of engine controls could not be confirmed. It was not possible to determine the power transmitted by the powerplant at impact.
Performance Considerations
The aircraft flight manual did not specify performance for touch-and-go landings. Calculated take-off distances using short-field technique for estimated conditions on the accident day ranged from 743 m to 1,259 m, with take-off runs from 441 m to 742 m. The available runway length was 800 m. The instructor at Sainte-Léocadie reported seeing the aircraft land and take off without stopping; he later saw it very low and turning in the valley before the collision.