What happened
On 15 April 2017, a Gaz’aile 2 microlight, identified as W16US, was performing a test flight at the La Broue microlight strip in Charente, France. The pilot intended to complete the flight to obtain a definitive identification card for the aircraft.
During the initial climb following takeoff from runway 2/20, the aircraft struck a line of trees located to the left of the runway centerline. The impact caused the aircraft to lose balance and strike the ground in a high nose-down attitude. The aircraft overturned and caught fire upon impact. Although the pilot was rescued from the wreckage by a witness and was initially conscious, he sustained severe injuries and died a few days later. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the site conditions at the private unpaved strip. The investigation noted that while the owners maintained the climb-out area, a hedge of trees exceeding 10 meters in height was present along the left side of the runway. Debris from the aircraft's left wing was recovered from these trees and the adjacent road.
The wreckage was found 100 meters south of the end of the runway, lying upside down in a wheat field. The impact was severe enough to create a crater in the ground, and the fuel tank had exploded. While the investigation could not determine the specific state of the flight controls or the engine power at the moment of impact, it was noted that the carbon propeller blades had failed under bending loads.
Witnesses and associates provided information regarding recent modifications to the aircraft. It was reported that the pilot had recently replaced the original propeller with a high-pitch version to increase cruising speed, a change that increased the required takeoff distance. Additionally, the pilot had chosen to use the shorter La Broue strip for this flight instead of the longer Saint-Jean-d’Angély aerodrome.