History of the Flight
The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, departed Santa Cilia aerodrome (Spain) at approximately 14:20 local time for a flight over the Pyrenees. While at an altitude of about 2,400 m, weather conditions deteriorated with strong southerly gusts and severe turbulence that drove the motor glider toward the terrain. The pilot steered away and headed toward the valley, starting the engine. He quickly realized the rate of descent was too high to safely clear the terrain and made an emergency landing on a relatively flat but uneven area at an altitude of about 2,100 m near Midi d'Ossau mountain peak. The motor glider was substantially damaged.
Additional Information
Pilot Information
The 64-year-old pilot, co-owner of the motor glider, held a sailplane pilot license (SPL) obtained in 1978 with winch, tow, and self-launching privileges, as well as a touring motor glider (TMG) rating. He was a SAIL instructor and held an aeroplane private pilot license (PPL(A)). He had logged 1,243 glider flight hours (approximately 14 hours in the previous three months) and 84 motor glider flight hours (3 hours and 50 minutes in the previous three months, all on the SF25-B and SF28-A). He also had 655 aeroplane flight hours.
Pilot's Statement
The pilot stated that he attended the briefing at the Santa Cilia flying club and collected additional information using the Windy app. He considered the weather conditions compatible for the flight and had not identified the possibility of downdrafts in the intended area. He noted that other pilots had also undertaken flights over the Pyrenees. During the flight, wind conditions changed, with the wind shifting direction and becoming stronger. He did not encounter rain or thunderstorms. He had previously flown in the region two years earlier, after several flights with a local pilot, but usually flies from an aerodrome in the Madrid region and rarely in the mountains.
Meteorological Information
According to Météo-France, the general situation was characterized by a rapid south-south-west cyclonic flow, with development of sometimes very significant thunderstorm formations, forecast on SIGWX and WINTEM charts. Storm cells originating from Spain were observed in the late afternoon. Estimated conditions at the site at the time of the accident: wind from 160° at 10 to 15 kt, gusts reaching 23 kt; visibility greater than 10 km; broken cumulus or towering cumulus clouds based between 750 and 1,000 m; temperature 18°C; dew point 10°C; light to moderate turbulence. The presence of towering cumulus or occasional cumulonimbus clouds may have generated instabilities.
Conclusions
While flying over the Pyrenees, the pilot encountered a change in wind direction and intensity, and experienced substantial downdrafts. He attempted to reach the valley, but the motor glider's rate of descent with the engine operating was too high to safely clear the terrain. He made an emergency landing on an uneven surface, substantially damaging the motor glider. Contributing factors included the pilot's limited experience flying in mountains and in this region, which did not facilitate his analysis of meteorological information, and the influence during flight preparation of information that other pilots planned to fly in the mountainous region.