What happened
On June 27, 2018, a Cirrus SR22 G3 GTS turbo, registration N78TL, was conducting a private flight to the Château-Arnoux Saint-Auban airfield in France. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, was arriving from a previous stop in Cannes.
During the approach, the pilot initially planned to land on the grass portion of the airfield but shifted the touchdown point to a small, paved strip (SE2) intended for glider use. Upon touchdown, the pilot realized the remaining distance was insufficient to stop the aircraft and initiated a go-around. During the initial climb, the aircraft struck the treetops located just outside the airfield perimeter. The impact with the trees, which cushioned the descent, brought the aircraft to a halt a short distance from the wreckage site. Both occupants escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, the aircraft's flight data, and the airfield configuration. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's engine was delivering power at the time of impact. Analysis of the Avidyne flight instrumentation showed the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 20 feet and traveling at 80 knots just before the recorded data ended.
Investigators also reviewed the airfield's Visual Approach Chart (VAC), which specifies that the paved strips are reserved for based aircraft and are only 290 meters long. The investigation noted that the pilot had not performed a reconnaissance flight of the airfield prior to landing, despite it being his first visit to the location.
Findings
- The pilot's landing strategy was influenced by the lack of clear runway markings, leading him to use the paved SE2 strip as a familiar visual reference.
- The pilot did not realize the dimensions of the SE2 strip were insufficient for a safe landing given the aircraft's performance requirements.
- The go-around sequence was highly dynamic, leaving the pilot very little time to reconfigure the aircraft; the flaps remained in the landing position rather than being moved to the takeoff setting.
- The aircraft likely entered a critical flight regime due to an early rotation at too low a speed and an aggressive pitch input to clear obstacles, which likely led to a stall and subsequent collision with the trees.