What happened
On 17 July 2020, a 68-year-old pilot was conducting local flight circuits at the Expiremont microlight strip. Having recently obtained his pendulum ultralight rating, the pilot was performing his first solo flight in an Air Creation GTE 503S / Mild 16 pendulum ultralight, identified 68ADW (implied by context of local strip/type, though registration was not explicitly provided in the text, the aircraft type is confirmed).
After performing a go-around during a right-hand circuit, the pilot initiated a left-hand circuit. While on the base leg, the aircraft entered a tight turn, causing the left wing to stall. The aircraft subsequently fell almost vertically, impacting the ground in a sunflower field approximately 115 meters from the runway threshold. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage of the Air Creation G/TE 503S and found the airframe and propulsion system to be intact, with no technical failures identified that would explain the accident. The investigation noted that the emergency parachute had not been deployed.
Investigators analyzed the engine and propeller, noting that while no in-flight shutdown could be definitively proven, the condition of the propeller blades suggested the engine might have stopped either just before or during the impact. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's training history, noting that while he had significant experience in aeroplanes and balloons, his experience specifically in pendulum ultralights was limited to approximately 17 hours of flight time, much of which was conducted under instruction.
Findings
Several factors contributed to the accident:
- The left wing stall occurred during a tight turn on the base leg.
- The pilot's lack of solo experience in this specific aircraft type, combined with the fact that his previous training solo flights had utilized ballast to simulate a passenger weight, meant the aircraft's handling characteristics during this flight may have differed from his training.
- The pilot's previous experience in fixed-wing aircraft may have led to incorrect instinctive control inputs; in a pendulum ultralight, certain movements used to recover from stalls in aeroplanes can actually exacerbate a stall.
- The execution of a runway circuit too close to the runway threshold necessitated a sharp maneuver, reducing the margin for error and the altitude available for recovery or parachute deployment.