What happened
On Sunday, March 30, 2003, at 18:20, a Robin DR 400-180 aircraft, registration F-GGQK, was performing a local flight at the Orange Plan-de-Dieu aerodrome. The aircraft was on final approach to runway 17, flying in a tailwind component. The pilot configured the aircraft with one notch of flaps during base leg and a second notch on final, maintaining a speed between 120 and 125 km/h.
Shortly before touchdown, the pilot experienced a slight sink in the flight path. Although the pilot perceived that the aircraft was landing short of the runway, they decided to continue the approach. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 20 meters before the runway threshold. Following the hard landing, the aircraft veered to the left and exited the unpaved runway, resulting in the failure of the left main landing gear and damage to the left flap.
The investigation
The investigation established that the aircraft impacted the ground 41 meters before the runway threshold markings. Evidence showed the left wheel made contact with the edge of a path perpendicular to the runway axis, located 16 meters from the start of the runway.
The pilot, who held a PPL since 196 and had 115 total flight hours, noted that they frequently use the aforementioned path as a visual aiming point to ensure landing close to the threshold on this short runway. During the approach, the pilot's attention was diverted by the changing flight path, which led to a lack of monitoring regarding airspeed and descent rate.
Findings
- The pilot failed to provide sufficient corrections for variations in descent rate and airspeed during the final approach.
- There was an inappropriate decision to continue the landing despite the perceived short approach.
- The chosen aiming point was unsuitable for the actual flight conditions.
- An implicit delegation of decision-making occurred, as the presence of an experienced pilot in the cockpit may have discouraged the pilot from executing a go-around.