What happened
On the morning of November 11, 2022, a Robin R3000-160, registered HB-KEQ, was conducting a cross-country flight from Hausen am Albis, Switzerland, to the Megève mountain airfield in France. The aircraft, operated by Aéroclub de Verein Hausair, was carrying a pilot and one passenger.
After performing two reconnaissance passes of the airfield, the pilot initiated the approach to runway 15. During the final approach, the pilot reported being dazzled by the sun, which caused a loss of visual contact with the runway. The aircraft struck the top of a fir tree, which severed the tree's upper portion, before the aircraft fell vertically and came to rest on its back in a nearby forest. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aeroplane.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the BEA, utilized the pilot's statement, site examinations, and GNSS data from the SkyDemon aeronautical application. Investigators found the wreckage approximately 400 meters before the threshold of runway 15 at an altitude of 4,573 feet. The front section of the aircraft, including the engine and instrument panel, was separated from the main wreckage.
Analysis of the flight path via GNSS data revealed that the pilot began the descent during the final turn and failed to maintain level flight after intercepting the approach path. The data showed the pilot increased the glide slope from 5% to 10% approximately 0.9 NM from the threshold. By 0.6 NM from the threshold, the aircraft was roughly 100 feet below the required 5% approach slope. The aircraft subsequently passed through a shadowed area of terrain, which coincided with the collision with vegetation.
Findings
- The pilot initiated the descent during the final turn rather than leveling off before starting the final descent, which is the recommended procedure for mountain airfield approaches.
- The aircraft was flying below the required approach slope at the time of the collision.
- The position of the sun (at an azimuth of 141° and 17° above the horizon) placed the pilot directly into the sunlight, causing visual discomfort.
- The transition from high luminance to the shadow of the terrain likely hindered the pilot's ability to correct the flight path or detect the obstacle.
- The pilot's approach slope was significantly shallower than the 5% slope required, and the subsequent increase to a 10% slope contributed to the loss of altitude relative to the threshold.