What happened
On November 11, 1998, at 17:25, a Humble Moto-du-Ciel ultralight, identified as 54-HN, was involved in a landing accident at the Nancy-Malzéville aerodrome. The flight was a solo training mission conducted by a 45-year-old trainee pilot with 29 hours of dual-instruction flight time.
Following two circuit patterns with an instructor, the pilot was cleared to fly solo. After completing one solo circuit, the instructor requested a second circuit. During the final approach of this second circuit, the pilot perceived that the aircraft's airspeed was insufficient while at a low altitude with reduced engine power. In an attempt to correct this, the pilot applied nose-down elevator input. This maneuver caused the aircraft to strike the ground, bounce, and come to rest approximately 300 meters from the initial point of impact.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the final approach and the pilot's control inputs. The instructor, who remained on the ground during the solo circuit, observed the aircraft's descent. According to the instructor's observations, the flight parameters during the final approach appeared normal until the moment of impact. The instructor noted that the aircraft assumed a very steep nose-down attitude immediately before contacting the runway.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an inappropriate control input by the pilot.
- The aircraft sustained slight damage as a result of the impact and subsequent bounce.
- Meteorological conditions at the time were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km and winds from 310° at 5 knots.