What happened
On 18 April 2019, a Socata TB20, registration F-GDNF, was conducting a cross-country flight from Fort-de-France, Martinique, to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. The pilot was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and had requested several altitude changes throughout the flight to manage increasing cloud cover.
As the aircraft approached the southeast coast of Dominica, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather characterized by dense stratocumulus and convective clouds. These conditions included heavy downpors and cloud bases that may have dropped as low as 1,300 ft. While flying near Douglas Charles airport, the pilot requested a further descent to 3,500 ft to maintain visual contact with the ground. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost at 12:11 UTC. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter was triggered, leading authorities to declare the distress phase.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted by the BEA with the participation of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, focused on the flight path, meteorological conditions, and the pilot's decision-making. Due to the difficult terrain and weather, the wreckage was located via helicopter survey in a heavily wooded, steep area.
The investigators examined the pilot's pre-flight weather consultations, noting that while the pilot had checked weather via the OLIVIA website, a strike at Météo-France had prevented access to the latest terminal forecasts (TAFs). The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's equipment, noting it lacked a GNSS system, and analyzed the communications between the pilot and air traffic controllers in Pointe-à-Pitre.
Findings
Several factors contributed to the accident. The pilot made the decision to continue the flight in adverse weather conditions for a VFR mission, likely driven by a desire to complete a long-postponed professional inspection. As the pilot maneuvered to stay below the cloud layer, he likely experienced frequent loss of external visual references.
Without a GNSS system for precise positioning, the pilot's attention was likely consumed by maintaining aircraft control in unstable air, leading to a loss of situational awareness regarding his proximity to the mountains. Furthermore, the pilot did not explicitly inform controllers of his deteriorating situation or request assistance, which prevented controllers from identifying the danger and warning him of the nearby terrain.