What happened
On August 16, 2024, a CM-170 Fouga Magister, registration F-AZPZ, was performing an aerobatic display during an airshow near Le Lavandou, France. The flight was part of a commemoration for the 80th anniversary of the Provence landings. After several successful passes, the pilot initiated a 360-degree turn with a steep bank angle. During this maneuver, the aircraft drifted beyond the established display axis.
To return to the axis, the pilot executed a "wingover" maneuver involving a "Derry turn." During the descent phase of this maneuver, the pilot tightened the turn to intercept the display axis, which caused the aircraft to experience sustained positive G-forces of approximately +5 g for roughly ten seconds. At an altitude of about 400 ft, the aircraft collided with the surface of the sea. The pilot was fatally injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BEA investigation utilized video analysis from numerous ground witnesses to reconstruct the flight path and parameters. The investigation established that the aircraft's flight path deviated from the display axis during the 360-degree turn, a deviation that was not detected by the Flying Display Director (FDD) or the crew on the ground.
Investigators also examined the pilot's physiological state and the aircraft's technical specifications. The CM-170 Fouga Magister was not equipped with an anti-G suit or an air supply system to mitigate G-forces. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's recent flight history, health, and the environmental conditions, noting high temperatures on the day of the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was pilot incapacitation due to G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) or almost loss of consciousness (A-LOC) caused by high positive G-forces during a tight turn.
- The pilot was attempting to correct an overshoot of the display axis, which led to the high-G maneuver.
- Several contributing factors included the pilot's difficulty in visually identifying the display axis markers (buoys) in the marine environment.
- Physiological stressors, such as heat, fatigue, and the effects of certain medications, likely reduced the pilot's G-tolerance.
- A lack of practice in anti-G breathing techniques and limited recent experience with sea-based displays further contributed to the event.