What happened
On June 10, 2017, a Schempp Hirth - Cirrus glider, registration F-CEVN, was performing a local flight originating from Angoulême - Brie Champniers. After approximately 90 minutes of flight, the pilot attempted to head south toward Chalais to exploit remaining thermal activity. However, as the aircraft passed over Nonac, the pilot found no usable lift, and the altitude dropped from 900 meters to 560 meters by the time the aircraft reached the Montmoreau-Saint-Cybard area.
Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot decided to perform an outlanding in a nearby field. During the initial approach to a selected field, the pilot discovered a fence that made the site unsuitable. This forced an urgent decision to divert to a second field located behind an industrial warehouse. While executing a shallow approach and performing a slight pull-up to clear the building, the pilot struck a medium-voltage power line at the edge of the field. The impact destabilized the Schempp Hirth - Cirrus, causing the nose of the aircraft to strike the ground a few dozen meters later. The pilot sustained one injury, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BEA investigation utilized cockpit camera footage, navigation data from a tablet used by the pilot, and witness statements. The investigation examined the pilot's flight path, the meteorological conditions, and the sequence of decisions leading to the emergency landing. The investigators also reviewed the pilot's experience, noting they held a glider license since November 2016 with 100 total flight hours.
Findings
- The pilot's initial reconnaissance of the first chosen field was inadequate, which prevented the early detection of obstacles and necessitated a sudden change in landing strategy.
- This sudden change induced a high-stress situation and forced the pilot to improvise the landing.
- The pilot failed to identify the power lines in time to adjust the flight path.
- The decision to continue flying south despite weather forecasts predicting a significant decrease in thermal activity contributed to the necessity of the emergency landing.