What happened
On 23 April 2021, a J300 microlight, identified as 40FJ, was conducting a cross-country flight from La Rochelle-Île de Ré airport toward a private microlight strip in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne. The flight was intended to return the aircraft to its base following the installation of a new VHF receiver earlier that day. The aircraft was flying at an altitude between 1,300 and 1,500 feet.
At approximately 15:38, radar tracked the aircraft over the sea, north of the accident site, maintaining an altitude of 1,500 feet. Shortly thereafter, witnesses observed the microlight flying at a low altitude over a pine forest before it plummeted into the trees. The impact resulted in the death of both the pilot and the passenger.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, which was found intact in a pine forest near the coast. Investigators found that the aircraft had struck the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude. While the engine and primary flight control linkages (rudder, elevator, and trim) were found to be continuous and functional, the condition of the aileron linkages could not be verified due to wing damage.
Investigators noted that the emergency parachute had been deployed, indicating an attempt by one of the occupants to mitigate the descent at a low altitude. The investigation also focused on the cockpit environment, where evidence of overheating was found on the central pedestal. Furthermore, the electrical system showed non-standard modifications, including a tangle of wires secured with electrical tape. The pilot's mobile phone was also found to have suffered significant overheating, with a partially melted lithium battery.
Findings
- The investigation could not definitively establish the exact cause of the loss of control.
- An electrical short-circuit or the overheating of the pilot's mobile phone battery may have released smoke or gases into the cockpit, potentially distracting or incapacitating the crew.
- Both occupants had pre-existing cardiovascular conditions that could have increased their vulnerability to physiological stress or incapacitation during an in-flight emergency.