What happened
On 14 March 2020, a Piper PA-28-181, registration F-GSEV, was conducting an introductory flight under the Aeronautical Initiation Certificate (BIA) program at Bordeaux Yvrac aerodrome. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers.
During the final approach to runway 29, the aircraft drifted to the right of the runway centerline. The right wing of the aircraft struck the top of a 12-meter-tall tree located approximately 20 and 75 meters to the right of the centerline, roughly 200 meters from the runway threshold. The impact caused the aircraft to become difficult to control, forcing the pilot to perform a landing in an uncultivated field. During the impact with the ground and subsequent obstacles, including a fence and a wall, the nose gear and left main landing gear failed, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight history, the sequence of traffic at the aerodrome, and the organizational structure of the flying club. The pilot had performed several flights earlier that day, including three BIA introductory flights in a C172. The investigation also reviewed the actions of a C172 pilot who had recently cleared the runway.
Investigators analyzed the potential for hypovigilance, considering factors such as the pilot's age, the accumulation of consecutive flights, and the physiological effects of digestion. The investigation also looked into the club's management of risks associated with introductory and BIA flights, noting that at the time of the accident, no formal management process for these specific flight types had been established.