2018 Laval Entrammes Robin DR 400-140 B accident (F-GGXJ)

Flight and accident sequence On 16 June 2018, a Robin DR 400-140 B registered F-GGXJ departed Laval Entrammes aerodrome runway 32 around 16:00 local time for a personal trip to Aron private aerodrome. The aircraft was operated by Aéroclub Mayenne Air Loisirs. During the first turn at about 1,000 ft, the pilot saw an orange alternator-failure warning and decided to return to Laval. The pilot made the approach at about 150 km/h. The flight manual recommended 115 km/h at maximum mass in no wind and 130 km/h in strong or crosswind conditions. On landing, when the nose wheel touched the runway, the aircraft drifted left. The pilot could not maintain the track, and the aircraft left the runway laterally by a few metres. The pilot then attempted to take off again while trying to return to the runway centreline to the right. Shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft stalled and struck the ground near the runway. ## Site, weather, and pilot account Ground marks showed the aircraft had left the runway at about 40° to the runway axis, skidding right with greater load on the right main gear. The engine structure and nose gear were separated from the fuselage. The wreckage indicated a nose-down attitude and zero bank at impact. The 16:00 METAR for Laval reported wind from 270° variable between 230° and 290° at 10 kt. The pilot estimated a light westerly wind using the windsock. The 64-year-old pilot had 789 total flight hours, including 11 in the previous three months, all in the DR400. He said the alternator failure did not particularly worry him and that he was not especially stressed, but he shortened the circuit after hearing on the radio that another aircraft was approaching for integration. He said this haste affected speed control, with speed about 150 km/h at the threshold. To reduce speed, he held the aircraft near the ground, delaying main-gear touchdown to about 120 km/h. When the nose wheel touched, the aircraft went left. He applied windward control, brakes, and rudder but could not maintain control. Seeing the grass strip approach, he decided to go around. He said he was disoriented by the sequence of events and tried to take off as quickly as possible without checking speed. He remembered using two notches of flaps for landing but did not recall whether they had been set to the first notch for the go-around. Flap position could not be determined after the accident and recovery. ## Findings The pilot observed an alternator failure shortly after takeoff and returned to the departure aerodrome. Because of traffic in the process of integrating, he hastened the return, resulting in an unstabilised approach and a landing at probably excessive speed. Crosswind effects were insufficiently countered, causing a lateral runway excursion. The pilot interrupted the landing with a trajectory and in speed and configuration conditions that did not guarantee a safe new takeoff, and then lost control of the aircraft. The report notes that stress or concern caused by an alarm during a critical phase can lead to suboptimal reactions, and that mental preparation, including preflight briefings, is a resource for pilots to manage such situations.