What happened
On August 9, 2015, at approximately 17:30 local time, a pilot was conducting a solo flight from the private Bligny aerodrome in France. The pilot, who had completed several joyflights with passengers earlier that day, was performing a local flight when a witness observed the Take Off Merlin Xess 1200 (identified as 27-ZC) performing a loop. During this maneuver, the pilot fell from the aircraft, causing the microlight to crash into the ground. The pilot was found 20 meters away from the wreckage, and the one fatality was confirmed. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the lap belt securing the seat was open. Structural analysis of the aircraft revealed that a cable connecting the control bar to the wing nose had suffered a sudden rupture due to overload. Additionally, the right side of the control bar had detached from its upper attachment point because the rivets had been sheared by torsional forces. However, the investigators determined that the standard flight loads experienced by this component were insufficient to cause such a failure.
No other mechanical anomalies contributing to the accident were identified. While the region was experiencing unstable weather, local meteorological stations reported no significant storm cells or high winds in the immediate vicinity of the accident site at the time of the event.
Findings
- The pilot was an experienced instructor with over 3,000 flight hours.
- The lap belt for the seat was found in an unfastened position.
- The pilot likely departed without being properly secured in his seat.
- Due to the low wing loading of weightshift microlights, they are highly sensitive to turbulence. It is concluded that a turbulence encounter could have lifted the unsecured pilot from his seat, leading to a loss of aircraft control and the pilot's subsequent fall from the cockpit.