History of the Flight
The student pilot, accompanied by an instructor and another student pilot as a passenger, departed Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport for a cross-country flight to Lézignan-Corbières Aerodrome. During the flight, the instructor directed the student pilot to divert to Béziers-Vias Airport for practice forced landing exercises. After completing a first exercise, the air traffic controller instructed the student pilot to enter a holding pattern north of the airport to allow a commercial air transport aircraft to approach. The student pilot executed a left-hand 360° turn as requested. The controller then directed him to climb to 2,000 ft and continue holding with a second 360° turn, after which he was to report overhead the aerodrome.
As the student pilot leveled the wings at the end of the turn, a group of storks appeared ahead. The instructor announced she was taking control and attempted to avoid the birds. One stork struck the windshield, which shattered under the impact, and the bird entered the cabin, coming to rest on the left-hand rear seat. The student pilot was struck by the bird and windshield fragments. The instructor verified that the aircraft remained controllable and the engine functioned normally. She informed the controller of the collision and windshield damage, requesting to join the circuit for a full-stop landing. The landing was uneventful. After vacating the runway, the instructor requested medical assistance for the student pilot.
Aircraft Information
The SOCATA TB10, registered F-GJXO, was certified on 26 April 1979 under FAR 23 amendment 16, which did not specify windshield strength requirements for bird strikes. In contrast, current European certification standards (CS-23) require only level-4 aeroplanes (10 to 19 passengers) to have windshields that withstand a bird strike equivalent to a 0.91 kg bird at maximum approach flap speed. The manufacturer had recorded eight bird strike accidents involving the TB aeroplane range since 2008, including one fatal accident. The windshield of F-GJXO was damaged on the left side, and an impact mark was found on the elevator without structural damage.
Meteorological Information
Météo-France estimated the meteorological conditions at the accident site as: wind from 320° at 13 kt, CAVOK, and temperature 9°C.
Bird Hazard at Béziers-Vias Airport
The Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) identifies Béziers-Vias Airport as lying on autumn and spring migration routes, and the Visual Approach Chart (VAC) notes that birds are present year-round. On the day of the accident, neither the ATIS nor the controller mentioned the bird hazard. Air navigation services stated that the ATIS only included bird hazard information when birds were visible from the tower to avoid overuse.
Personnel Information
The instructor, aged 42, held a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL(A)) obtained in 2008 and an aeroplane flight instructor rating (FI(A)). She had 3,831 flight hours, including 57 hours in the previous three months and 21.5 hours on the TB10. The student pilot, aged 21, began practical training on 21 January 2024 and had 29 flight hours on the TB10.
Conclusions
During an instructional flight, while holding to the north of the airport after completing a 360° turn, the aeroplane flew through a group of storks. The instructor took control and attempted to avoid a collision. One struck the windshield and entered the cabin, and fragments of the windshield and the bird injured the student pilot seated in the left seat. The instructor assessed the aircraft's handling and requested clearance to land. The aeroplane landed without further incident. The instructor then requested emergency services.