What happened
On 28 January 2018, a Funflyer tandem trike powered paraglider, identified as 52GJ, was conducting a private local flight near Dompierre-sur-Charente. The pilot had taken off from a field south of Le Pradeau and performed several low-altitude maneuvers before flying toward the Charente river.
During the flight, the pilot flew over flooded fields for approximately four minutes. Video evidence from an onboard camera and a nearby drone indicates that roughly two minutes before the accident, the pilot descended to about 6 meters above the water before climbing back to 23 meters. Following this, the aircraft entered a continuous descent lasting about one minute, eventually striking the surface of the water. The pilot survived the initial impact but subsequently died from drowning and hypothermia.
The investigation
The BEA examined video footage from both the aircraft's onboard camera and a drone present in the area. Acoustic analysis of the onboard video was used to monitor the engine's performance. The investigation also included a physical examination of the 52GJ trike and an analysis of meteorological conditions at the time of the accident.
Investigators noted that the engine's power settings were being manually controlled via a hand throttle. The examination of the propulsion system revealed no mechanical failures or signs of carburetor icing, despite weather conditions that could have supported such an occurrence. The aircraft itself showed no damage related to the cause of the accident.
Findings
- The pilot was flying significantly below the regulatory minimum flight height of 500 feet.
- The aircraft was positioned more than 400 meters from the edge of the flooded area, meaning a forced landing would have been impossible in the event of an engine failure.
- The pilot inadvertently released the hand throttle while adjusting an onboard camera, causing the engine speed to drop and the aircraft to descend into the water.
- The pilot's flight path and previous low-altitude maneuvers suggested an intentional effort to fly close to the water's surface.