What happened
On April 30, 2017, a JMB VL3A ultralight, identified as 68ADW, departed from the Fréjus airfield for a local flight. The pilot was accompanied by one passenger. During the flight, the pilot performed a series of high-performance maneuvers at low altitude.
At approximately 16:43 local time, while flying at an altitude of roughly 700 feet, the pilot executed a steep left turn with a bank angle reaching 90 degrees. Following this maneuver, the aircraft continued on a climbing southern trajectory. Approximately 50 seconds later, at an altitude of about 1,040 feet, the pilot initiated a second steep left turn. During this second maneuver, the pilot simultaneously increased the pitch and applied full power. The aircraft reached a load factor of 3.7g, causing the airspeed to drop to 65 knots. This speed was below the calculated stall speed for a turn with such a high load factor.
As a result, the aircraft experienced an asymmetric stall and entered a spin. Witnesses in a following aircraft observed the ultralight completing six to seven rotations in a spin before impacting the ground. The impact resulted in two fatalities, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, flight data from the onboard calculator, and witness testimonies. The investigation confirmed that the flight control surfaces were functional prior to impact. The engine was operating at full power at the time of the collision, as evidenced by the condition of the propeller blades. The investigation also noted that the emergency parachute system's deployment initiators had not been triggered, despite radio calls from a following pilot instructing the pilot to "pull, pull."
Findings
- The pilot performed maneuvers that exceeded the aircraft's certified flight envelope; the JMB VL3A is not approved for aerobatics, and bank angles should not exceed 60 degrees.
- The second high-bank maneuver induced an asymmetric stall because the airspeed dropped below the required threshold for the high load factor (3.7g).
- The low altitude at which the spin occurred left insufficient margin to recover control or successfully deploy the emergency parachute.