History
On 8 February 2019, around 11:18 local time, a Piper PA-46-350P registered F-GUYZ, operated by BigBlank Bluewings, was conducting a passenger commercial air transport flight from Toussus‑Le‑Noble airport (Yvelines) to Courchevel mountain airfield (Savoie). The captain, accompanied by a safety pilot, took off under an IFR flight plan. After passing abeam Geneva, the captain cancelled the IFR flight plan and continued descent to Courchevel. Following a reconnaissance phase, the pilot followed the path published on the VAC chart. During landing on runway 22, the aircraft travelled along the runway without wheel contact. Touchdown occurred approximately 270 m from the beginning of the runway at a speed of around 80 kt. Despite hard braking, the pilot could not stop the aircraft, which overran the runway and collided with a mound of snow.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-46 Mirage (registration F-GUYZ) is a pressurized six-seat aircraft equipped with a 350‑hp Lycoming TIO-540 piston engine and a Garmin 1000 avionics suite. The flight manual specifies a final approach speed of approximately 80 to 85 kt with flaps fully extended and 95 kt with flaps retracted. The flaps have four positions: fully retracted (0°), first detent (10°), second detent (20°), and fully extended (36°). For the accident flight, weight and balance calculations showed the aircraft was overloaded at takeoff and at the limit of maximum allowable weight for landing.
Meteorological Conditions
The AFIS agent reported wind from 240° at 3 kt, visibility greater than 10 km, QNH 1018, and temperature -1°C. The runway had been cleared of snow and was slightly damp over a width of approximately 30 m with a few patches of snow remaining.
Operator and Platform
BigBlank, a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM group, created the Bluewings.aero website, described as a platform for private flights connecting aircraft owners, pilots, and passengers. BigBlank did not hold an Air Operator Certificate (AOC); the flights were of a private nature. For the accident flight, no tickets were issued; a single invoice for the hire of the aircraft and pilot services was drawn up in the name of BigBlank.
Pilot Experience
The 23-year-old captain held a commercial pilot licence with instrument rating issued in August 2016 and had logged approximately 398 flight hours, of which 289 hours as captain. His training for the Courchevel site authorization, financed by BigBlank, took place on 11 and 12 December 2018 and included a half-day theory and a day of practical training in a Jodel D140, with 10 landings at Courchevel. His first flight as captain on the PA-46 occurred the day before the accident, consisting of two aerodrome traffic patterns at Orléans Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel with an instructor, totaling 25 minutes. The instructor advised increasing approach speed by 5 to 7 kt for Courchevel but did not hold the mountain instructor rating.
Consequences
One passenger was injured and the aircraft was damaged.