History of the Flight
The pilot and two passengers took off from runway 24 at Saint-Brieuc–Armor airport at 11:13 local time on 10 April 2022 for a cost-shared flight over the northern Brittany coast. A ground observer saw the aircraft climb with a steep nose-up attitude and low vertical speed. It then appeared to gain speed with a reduced nose-up attitude before stalling and colliding with the ground approximately 400 m beyond the runway 06 threshold and 200 m north of the runway axis.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Robin DR400-120 (Petit Prince), registered F-GXYZ, operated by Aéroclub de Saint-Brieuc - Armor. The flight controls were continuous except for an elevator control cable that ruptured at a pulley due to tensile overload likely from the impact. The flap control lever position was inconclusive, but examination suggested the flaps were retracted before impact. The elevator trim was slightly more nose-down than the recommended take-off position. The engine tachometer showed a needle mark at 2,400 RPM upon impact, consistent with take-off engine speed, and propeller blade damage indicated rotation with torque during impact. The fuel selector was open, and the tank contained fuel.
Pilot Information
The 62-year-old pilot held a private pilot license (aeroplane) obtained in October 1991, a night rating, and previously held a microlight certificate and an expired helicopter license. His total flight experience was 437 hours, including 120 hours of dual instruction. In the 12 months preceding the accident, he logged 12 hours 15 minutes (4 hours 20 minutes dual in a DR400). In the previous 90 days, he flew 2 hours 25 minutes, including a revalidation flight. He had no flight time in the last 30 days. His Class 2 medical certificate was valid. On the day before the accident, he had returned from a trip to the French West Indies.
Meteorological Conditions
Visibility was greater than 10 km with no clouds below 5,000 ft. Temperature was around 10°C. Wind at Saint-Brieuc airport was from 140° at a mean speed of 10 kt, gusting to 18 kt at approximately 11:00. Winds strengthened later in the morning.
Wreckage and Site
The wreckage was complete and grouped, lying in a rape field with a nose-down attitude. No bounce marks were observed. Landing gears were ruptured and embedded; wings were near the ground; the front of the aircraft was destroyed; the engine was embedded. The impact left no chance of survival for the occupants.
Cost-Shared Flight Context
The flight was organized via the Wingly platform, a digital platform for cost-sharing flights. The pilot’s profile was created on 15 August 2021, meeting the flying club's criteria. This was the pilot’s first cost-shared flight with the platform. The total cost declared was €170, divided equally among the three occupants. The flying club's policy required 20 flight hours in the last 12 months for pilots using the platform; the pilot met that criterion at the time of profile creation.