What happened
On June 18, 2014, a student pilot was conducting a solo flight in a Robin DR400, registration F-GTPY, at the Grenoble Le Versoud aerodrome. The flight was part of a training session that had previously included five circuits accompanied by an instructor.
During the flight, an unrelated aircraft performing a touch-and-go maneuver on the paved runway (runway 04) struck a bird, causing the controller to close the paved runway for bird removal. The student pilot, who was on final approach, was instructed to go around and land on the unpaved runway 04 after completing another circuit.
Upon landing, the pilot drifted to the right of the unpaved runway, onto the grass strip located between the two runways. During the landing roll, the pilot spotted the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) ahead. In an attempt to avoid the obstacle by applying left rudder, the aircraft's right wing struck one of the PAPI lights, causing significant damage to the aircraft and destroying a light.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's experience, witness statements, and the sequence of events leading to the excursion. The pilot had accumulated 140 total flight hours, but only two hours of solo experience, with the most recent solo flight occurring several months prior.
An instructor, who was in radio contact with the student, noted that the approach to the unpaved runway appeared correct from his position, though he could not confirm if the aircraft remained centered on the runway. The instructor also noted that the PAPI lights were turned off at the time of the incident.
Findings
- The pilot failed to recognize that the aircraft had landed outside the boundaries of the unpaved runway.
- The pilot confused the grass strip located between the two runways with the unpaved runway itself.
- The sudden change in landing instructions, caused by the closure of the primary paved runway, likely caused a distraction that contributed to the pilot's loss of situational awareness.