What happened
On October 11, 2015, a Scheibe SF28A motor glider, registration F-CFTJ, departed from Oloron Herrère for a local VFR flight. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. After approximately one hour of flight, the pilot entered the valley connecting Escot to the Marie-Blle pass, traveling in a west-east direction.
While flying along the southern slope of the valley, the pilot noted that the aircraft was climbing at a rate of only 0.5 to 1 m/s with the engine at full power. Observing an easterly wind at the pass, the pilot's variometer indicated a rapid loss of altitude. Realizing the pass could not be cleared and that a turnaround was no longer possible, the pilot attempted to steer toward the center of the valley to avoid unfavorable aerological conditions. In an effort to mitigate the impact, the pilot attempted to strike the trees at a low speed with maximum power. The aircraft struck the trees and came to a halt on a slope, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and leaving both occupants seriously injured.
Following the impact, the passenger managed to exit the wreckage but was unable to contact emergency services due to a lack of mobile network coverage. After two hours of navigating difficult forest terrain, the passenger reached a road, where motorists provided assistance and alerted rescuers.
The investigation
The BEA examined the meteorological conditions, the aircraft's technical state, and the pilot's flight profile. At the time of the accident, winds at the surface were light, primarily from the east. The aircraft was operating at a weight near its maximum takeoff mass of 610 kg. The investigation also noted that the aircraft's FLARM equipment was out of date, with no recent GNSS tracks available, and the aircraft was not equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT).
Findings
- The aircraft was flying at a weight that significantly limited its maximum rate of climb at higher altitudes.
- Insufficient or late consideration of aerological conditions may have contributed to the accident.
- The absence of an emergency locator transmitter prevented the immediate activation of search and rescue services.