What happened
On May 17, 2014, an Rans S-6ES ultralight, identified as 62-ATU, departed from Arras Roclincourt aerodrome for a local instructional flight. The crew, consisting of an instructor and a student, intended to perform circuit patterns on runway 05.
Around 12:00, a witness traveling on the A26 motorway observed the aircraft flying over the highway from the northeast. The witness reported that the aircraft performed two left-hand turns while descending. Following the second turn, the aircraft disappeared behind a treeline. The Rans S-6ES subsequently struck the top of a tree, collided with a fence, and crashed into the ground approximately 800 meters northeast of the runway 23 threshold. The impact resulted in two fatalities, and the aircraft was destroyed by a post-impact fire.
The investigation
The investigation examined the wreckage, which was concentrated in a small area and heavily burned. Investigators found broken branches with red paint from the aircraft and evidence of a tree canopy being breached. While the aircraft's ballistic parachute (PBS) was armed and the safety pin removed, traces of melted nylon were found in the foliage, indicating the parachute deployed after the initial impact.
Mechanical examinations revealed that the flight controls were intact and the elevator was near a neutral position. The engine showed no signs of failure that contributed to the accident, and the propeller was rotating at a low RPM at the time of impact. Regarding the fuel system, one fuel valve was found closed while the other was open, though the impact made it impossible to determine if this state was caused by the crash. The aircraft was equipped with three tanks; while the wing tanks had been refueled with 64 liters prior to the flight, the central tank was typically used only as a reserve.
Findings
- The aircraft likely experienced a low-altitude stall, which prevented the crew from recovering control.
- The investigation could not establish the exact sequence of events leading to the loss of control.
- The ballistic parachute's pyrotechnic charge deployed on the ground during the post-impact fire, rather than during the flight.