What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2010-02-16 involved a survenu le 16 février 2010 à l’avion, at :, FR.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The accident was caused by the pilot's decision to land at the beginning of the runway without accounting for the offset threshold, combined with a late correction of a low approach path.

Robin ATL L undershoots runway at Quiberon aerodrome

A private flight ended in an aircraft accident when a Robin ATL L landed on soft ground before the runway threshold at Quiberon.

What happened

On February 16, 2010, at 14:40, a Robin ATL L aircraft, registration F-GFSZ, was performing a local flight at Quiberle aerodrome. While returning from a local flight, the pilot entered the left-hand base leg for runway 11. The pilot intended to land at the very beginning of the runway. To achieve this, the pilot targeted a touchdown point on the grassy area located just before the paved surface, failing to account for the offset runway threshold.

During the short final phase, the pilot realized the aircraft was too low but was unable to correct the glide path in time. The nose gear made contact with the soft ground several meters before reaching the pavement. Upon impact, the gear sank into the soil and struck a rock, causing it to break. The impact resulted in significant damage to the propeller and engine, leaving the aircraft heavily damaged. There were no fatalities among the two occupants.

The investigation

The investigation focused on the approach profile and the runway configuration at Quiberon. Although the total length of runway 11 is 800 meters, the presence of an offset threshold limits the usable landing distance to 660 meters. The investigators examined the terrain, noting that the grassy strip preceding the runway had recently undergone embankment work to reconfigure the area.

Furthermore, the investigation looked into the pilot's decision-making regarding the landing point. It was noted that the flight information service at the aerodrome was not active at the time, contrary to what is indicated on the visual approach chart. The investigation also assessed the meteorological conditions, which were CAVOK with a light wind of 5 knots.

Findings

The pilot failed to account for the offset runway threshold when planning the touchdown point.
There was a late detection of a low approach angle during the final phase of the flight.
The pilot's decision to land at the start of the runway was driven by a desire to minimize taxi time to the parking area.
The investigation established that ignoring the offset threshold is a common practice among pilots at this location to reduce taxi distances, which simultaneously reduces obstacle clearance margins and increases noise pollution for nearby residents.