History of the Flight
The pilot, who was also an instructor at the Aéroclub de l’Ariège, conducted a local flight at sunset from Saint-Girons–Antichan aerodrome heading toward the Pyrenees. The pilot was accompanied by three passengers: a pilot in the front left seat and two student pilots. The flight was a pleasure flight, not an instruction flight. The pilot reported backtracking runway 33, and take-off occurred at 17:19 in a southeasterly direction. At around 18:00, concerned that F-GGQQ had not returned, club members alerted emergency services. The wreckage was located in the bottom of a valley at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m. Its rapid location was possible due to an alert system on one of the occupants' smartphones that triggers in the event of an accident.
Additional Information
Radar and Communications
The flight path was reconstructed from radar data provided by the Toulouse DACOTA system. Radar tracking stopped before the end of the flight due to the detection floor relative to the terrain. The first radar detection was at 17:21. The pilot and a second instructor had discussed the start of aeronautical night, which the pilot estimated at 17:51. The second instructor’s radio attempts to contact the pilot between 17:45 and 17:50 went unanswered.
Mobile Phone Data
Mobile phones of the occupants were found at the accident site; some were repaired for data read-out. Initial indications suggested quite favourable weather conditions despite scattered clouds. A video of 1 minute 30 seconds revealed that the pilot in the right-hand seat had the controls. The aeroplane was flying at low height in a valley with large variations in speed, altitude, and attitude. Engine speed varied between 1,500 rpm and 2,850 rpm. A stall warning was audible from the beginning of the last right-hand turn, at a steep bank angle and low speed, for 10 seconds. During this manoeuvre, the pilot lost control of the aeroplane.
Site and Wreckage
The accident site was in the district of Bethmale, just above Eychelle lake, at an altitude of about 2,000 m. The wreckage lay in an ascending valley oriented north-south, with ridges reaching 2,200–2,300 m. It was on a small hill on rocky terrain partially covered with snow. No impact marks were visible near the main wreckage, which was grouped in an area approximately 10 m by 3 m. Some components had slid a few meters down the slope. The aeroplane was completely destroyed; its main components were present. The airframe was compressed along its longitudinal axis, and the wing was broken on both sides. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers were only slightly damaged. Flight controls were continuous from the cockpit to the control surfaces. The engine was embedded up to half of cylinder No. 1, about 50 cm from the nose, indicating a collision at a very steep angle (approximately 75°). A large amount of fuel leaked from the carburettor, which was partially torn from the engine. No biological traces from animal collision were found.
Persons on Board
All occupants knew each other and were members of the Aéroclub de l’Ariège. The passengers were students at ENAC engineering school, following a course in safety management and aviation operations. The pilot was a teacher at ENAC, giving theoretical courses on air operations. The 25-year-old pilot held a PPL(A) with SEP, MEP, night rating, IR/SE, IR/ME, and an instructor rating since 2023. He held a theoretical ATPL and a valid class 1 and 2 medical certificate. In June 2025, he reported 732 flight hours. He occupied the right-hand seat during the accident flight. The front left passenger (21 years old) had obtained a LAPL(A) one week before the accident; the pilot had been his instructor. The rear left and rear right passengers (21 and 18 years old) had joined the club one week before the accident and each had one hour of instruction that morning.
Aircraft Information
The Robin DR400-180, registered F-GGQQ, was a single-engine, low-wing aeroplane with a 180 hp engine, a fixed medium-pitch propeller, and a tow hook. Each seat had a three-point harness. The aircraft was used for towing gliders, cross-country flights, and instruction. It was equipped with conventional avionics and no Flarm. One week before the accident, it underwent a scheduled maintenance check (annual or 100-hour) with no anomalies noted.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the accident, estimated conditions at Saint-Girons were: light variable wind, clear sky, visibility greater than 10 km, temperature 13°C, dew point 9°C, QNH 1019 hPa, no turbulence. Sunset at Saint-Girons was at 17:21. The pilot was aware of this information.
Continuation of Safety Investigation
The BEA continues to collect and analyze data and will publish a final report setting out its conclusions. The investigation is conducted solely to improve aviation safety and is not intended to apportion blame or liability.