What happened
On the morning of July 18, 2024, an instructor and a student pilot departed from the Vénus chateau microlight base for a flight instruction session. After taking off at approximately 11:30, the crew likely performed a touch-and-go maneuver at Saucats 2 before proceeding east along the Garonne river. During the flight, the Pti'tavion microlight, registration 03AEG, experienced a structural failure. The aircraft struck the ground near Isle-Saint-Georges with a steep, nose-down attitude, resulting in two fatalities and the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, flight controls, and audio recordings from a nearby security camera. Investigators noted that the wreckage was found grouped together, indicating a high-energy impact. While the right wing remained connected to the fuselage with relatively minor deformation, the left wing had bent significantly near the strut fastenings.
Analysis of the flight controls showed no evidence of pre-impact damage. Audio data from a local security camera captured a loud, aerodynamic noise at 11:57:52, followed six seconds later by a sound consistent with a ground collision. An eyewitness also reported seeing the aircraft in a nose-down attitude and noted that the aircraft appeared to be breaking apart before it hit the ground.
Findings
- The investigation established that the left wing of the 03AEG most likely ruptured in flight.
- The structural failure of the left wing was characterized by sudden fractures, suggesting the wing structure exceeded its maximum permissible load.
- The BEA could not definitively determine if the rupture was caused by high load factors, an inherent structural weakness, or a combination of both.
- A weld on the right wing's forward spar was noted, showing a reduction in the diameter of the steel tubes, though the impact on the overall structural integrity of the aircraft's design was not fully quantified.
Safety action
Following the accident, the DSAC announced the following measures:
- A bulletin for all Pti’tavion and DIDL owners recommending the avoidance of maneuvers that could induce high load factors.
- An airworthiness directive prohibiting the carriage of paying passengers on Pti’tavion and DIDL aircraft.