What happened
On July 15, 1999, a Carman M 100 S glider, registration F-CCSY, was performing a local flight at the Merville aerodrome. During the approach to runway 22, the pilot noted being approximately 100 meters in altitude and traveling at 110 km/h. Believing the aircraft was above the required glide path, the pilot fully extended the air brakes and adopted a steep nose-down attitude. This maneuver caused a rapid loss of altitude.
The pilot attempted to flare late over an unharvested cereal field located within the aerodrome perimeter. The vegetation caught the low-mounted horizontal stabilizer, causing it to detach from the airframe. The glider continued sliding for approximately 100 meters before coming to a rest on the runway. The aircraft was heavily damaged in the incident.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight maneuvers and the aircraft's configuration. It was noted that the pilot had recently flown other gliders with higher horizontal stabilizers, whereas this specific model featured a low-mounted stabilizer. The investigation also looked into local landing practices, noting that glider pilots frequently use the adjacent cultivated field as a landing area to ensure they touch down at the start of the runway and can quickly reach the starter for subsequent launches.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an inappropriate approach and landing technique.
- The pilot's decision to use a steep descent rate via air brakes led to an uncontrolled loss of altitude.
- The low position of the horizontal stabilizer on this specific aircraft model made it susceptible to interference from the tall crops during the late flare.