Introduction
On 28 September 2019, a Cessna 206 SOLOY registered as F-HSTL operated by SAS Albi parachutisme was destroyed after colliding with terrain near Albi, France. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was conducting a night parachute drop flight.
Flight History
The flight was improvised during a private party by the pilot and a parachutist associate of the company. The pilot telephoned the Blagnac control tower supervisor at 22:56 to explain his intentions for a night flight and parachute drop at FL100. The supervisor asked about a NOTAM but raised no objections, requesting contact with the Flight Information Service before the drop.
At 00:30, the pilot took off from runway 27 at Albi–Le Séquestre aerodrome without night lighting. He climbed to 6,400 ft then descended to 4,300 ft. At 00:39, he contacted the FIS controller, advised of a single parachute drop at FL55, and received approval. The pilot reported the drop occurred at 00:48:03 at 4,500 ft. The last radar position was at 00:50:43 east of the aerodrome. The wreckage was found on a hill about 300 m from the last radar blip. The pilot extricated himself before the aircraft caught fire. Alert phases were activated at 01:25 after an emergency locator transmitter signal.
Pilot and Passenger Information
The 50-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot license with instructor, instrument, night, and Cessna SET ratings. He had 2,752 total flight hours, including 188 hours 15 minutes on the Cessna 206 SOLOY. Toxicology tests after admission revealed alcohol consumption, and witnesses stated he drank during the party. Radio recordings indicated long-winded and sometimes unclear communications. The 38-year-old passenger was a professional skydiver with 4,570 jumps.
Site and Wreckage
The aircraft struck vegetation on a hillside approximately 2,200 m southeast of the runway 27 threshold, on a heading toward that threshold. The site was hilly with dense vegetation 2–3 m high. Examination of vegetation indicated a shallow pitch attitude upon impact. Visual examination of the wreckage found no pre-existing faults that could explain the accident.
Aerodrome and Regulatory Context
Albi–Le Séquestre aerodrome has a paved runway 09-27 (1,560 m by 30 m) approved for night VFR, but night lighting could only be activated by an AFIS agent, who was not on duty. Parachuting activity was specified on the VAC chart from ground to FL135 only between sunrise and sunset plus 30 minutes. Night flights from this aerodrome and parachute drops were not permitted under regulations. The company's operations manual did not provide for night parachute drops, and the CEO had not authorized this flight.
Trajectography and Weather
Radar data showed a constant average vertical descent rate of about 1,100 ft/min during the last minute of flight. No dip in the glide path indicative of engine power loss was observed. The flight path continued to the radar detection limit at about 200 ft. Weather at 00:30 included calm wind, visibility 5,000 m, overcast at 5,000 ft, temperature 15 °C, dew point 12 °C, and QNH 1,020. Visibility reduced between 00:00 and 01:00. Illuminance was that of an evening before a new moon, made darker by cloud cover. Conditions were compatible with night VFR but not with reaching FL100; the pilot likely aborted the climb due to cloud.
Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance records showed no faults affecting airworthiness. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had 10,200 flight hours and 10,212 cycles. The last 100-hour inspection was on 14 August 2019, and the last 50-hour inspection on 12 September 2019. The aircraft had logged 19 hours since the last inspection with no reported faults. Spectral analysis of radio communications indicated a constant engine frequency, suggesting stable engine operation.
Conclusions
The BEA investigation concluded that the pilot and passenger improvised a night parachute drop flight without authorization and without checking weather suitability. The pilot's communication with air navigation services likely encouraged him to proceed. Contributing factors included alcohol consumption and collective emulation impairing judgment, lack of outside visual references at night over hilly terrain, and the interpretation of the controller's response as approval.