Flight History
At approximately 15:00 on 17 December 2019, a Robin DR400-120 registered F-GJZH was conducting a training flight with a student pilot at Belfort - Chaux aerodrome. The wind was south-easterly at 5 kt. After a first right-hand runway circuit for runway 18R in dual-command training, the student pilot took off again for three runway circuits as part of a supervised solo flight, each ending with a full stop landing. On the final landing, the aircraft bounced. The pilot estimated insufficient remaining runway for the landing roll and applied full throttle to take off again. The aircraft veered left and struck a tree at the beginning of the initial climb. Shortly after, it entered a left roll and came to rest inverted on the ground.
Aircraft and Aerodrome Information
The aeroplane was a Robin DR400-120. Belfort - Chaux aerodrome has two adjacent grass runways. Runway 18R/36L, used by aeroplanes, measures 920 m by 50 m with a displaced threshold. Published distances include: landing distance available (LDA) 765 m, take-off distance available (TODA) 900 m, and accelerate-stop distance available (ASDA) 920 m. Under the accident flight conditions, the aircraft’s performance per the AFM indicated a take-off run distance of 185 m and take-off distance to 50 ft of 355 m; landing run distance without braking was 230 m and landing distance from 50 ft was 460 m.
Wreckage and Site
The aircraft struck a tree at a height of about 10 m with a slight left bank. The tree was located 235 m from the end of runway 18R to the left of the centreline. The wreckage was found about 30 m from the tree along a southbound path. The aircraft was destroyed and lying inverted. The front section (engine) was badly damaged. The left wing had compression marks; the right wing was severed. The flaps were found in the landing configuration, and the carburettor heat control was partially pulled.
Statements
The student pilot reported that the approach for the final landing was stabilised, but the aircraft bounced. After touching down again, he felt there was insufficient runway ahead and decided to abort the landing. He did not retract the flaps to the take-off configuration and did not recall pushing the carburettor heat control. Model aeroplane enthusiasts on site observed the aircraft abeam their position a few metres above ground, level with the threshold of runway 36R, and noted that the engine did not appear to be at full power. The instructor stated that full stop landings were typically performed during dual-command flights due to the short runway.
Instructor and Student Information
The 65-year-old instructor held a CPL(A) licence with SEP and instructor ratings, with over 12,600 flight hours including about 7,900 as an instructor. The 71-year-old student pilot had logged approximately 94 dual-command flight hours since November 2014 and 10 minutes of supervised solo flight time with a full stop landing on 26 November 2019. In the month before the accident, he had flown 2 hours 15 minutes dual-command. Training was monitored by two instructors; the accident instructor had supervised the student since 2019, with about 40 flights and 40 landings, mostly full stop landings.
Previous Occurrences
Over 2010-2019, the BEA recorded 967 accidents involving light aeroplanes (under 2.250 t), including 105 fatal accidents. Of these, 375 occurred while landing at aerodromes other than high-altitude airports or mountain landing areas. Five resulted in fatal injuries and six in serious injuries. In all five fatal accidents and four of the six serious injury accidents, an aborted landing was attempted. Additionally, of the 105 fatal accidents, 48 involved loss of control in flight outside the landing phase.
Conclusions
The scenario described in the investigation indicates that after bouncing, the student pilot estimated he could not stop before the end of the runway and aborted the landing. The aircraft took off with flaps in the landing configuration and carburettor heat on, degrading climb performance. The climb gradient was insufficient to clear obstacles. Uncontrolled engine effects caused a steep left turn, leading to collision with a tree. Contributing factors include pilot fatigue (mentioned by the pilot at the end of the flight) and an insufficient understanding of the balked landing recovery technique.