History of the Flight
On 11 September 2019, around 16:10 local time, a COMCO IKARUS C42 microlight (identified 03AEN) took off from unpaved runway 26 at Itxassou aerodrome to tow a Schleicher ASK21 glider (registered F-CITS) carrying a student-pilot and an instructor. The weather was temperate with a north-westerly wind of 10 knots gusting to 17 knots and temperature 22 °C.
Shortly after lift-off, the microlight deviated left of the runway centerline. The glider remained on the ground, and the glider instructor observed a yaw correction to the left. The tug aircraft then climbed sharply with an increasing nose-up attitude while the glider stayed near the ground. The combination lost speed and moved away from the runway centerline, eventually exiting the aerodrome grounds. The microlight banked steeply to the left at a height of a few dozen meters and then fell to the ground. The glider instructor released the tow cable. The microlight collided with the ground, and the glider collided with a tree before stopping in a field.
Examination of Wreckage
Both wreckages were found south of the runway. The glider was about 110 meters south of the runway centerline near a tree, and the microlight was approximately 70 meters further south. The microlight wreckage was complete and not dispersed, with evidence of striking the ground in a nose-down attitude with a left bank. The position of the flaps at impact could not be determined. Examination of the microlight revealed no anomaly likely to have contributed to the accident. The glider showed damage consistent with the impact. The tow cable was still attached to the tug, and its other end was intact and detached from the glider; the cable release lever in the glider was found in an open position.
Pilot Information
The 82-year-old microlight pilot held a glider pilot license issued in 1966, with various ratings, and a fixed-wing microlight pilot license with a glider towing rating. He had logged over 2,700 hours in gliders, 2,500 hours in airplanes, 100 hours in helicopters, and over 300 hours in microlights. He held a valid class 2 medical certificate for his glider license, which expired on the day of the accident. The certificate included an Operational Safety Limitation requiring a second qualified pilot on board, issued in 1997 after a heart operation. This limitation was not applicable to microlight flights.
The pilot was treated by emergency services for non‑haemorrhagic cardiocirculatory failure and later died at the hospital. The non‑haemorrhagic nature was consistent with an in‑flight malaise. Autopsy revealed traumatic injuries from the collision and pre‑existing heart disease, including coronary‑artery bypass grafts and myocardial scarring.
Regulatory Context
In France, microlight pilots are not required to hold a medical certificate for glider towing, unlike glider pilots. The regulations require microlight tug pilots to have specific licenses and training, but no medical requirements. The pilot's medical limitation for glider flying (requiring a second pilot) did not apply to his microlight operations.
Statements
The glider instructor stated that during takeoff, the microlight deviated left. He took over controls from the student and called the tug several times with no response. He saw the left wing stall and released the cable just before the glider hit a tree. The student corroborated the sequence. Club members noted that the pilot regularly flew the microlight alone for towing, despite his medical limitation for gliders.