Incident Overview
On January 11, 2015, at 17:03 local time, a Robin DR400-120 with registration F-GMKS was involved in an accident at Les Sables-d'Olonne Talmont aerodrome (85). The aircraft, operated by a club for general aviation purposes, carried one pilot and two passengers. The incident resulted in severe damage to the aircraft.
Flight Sequence
Returning from a local flight, the pilot joined the traffic pattern for runway 24 with winds from the west at less than 10 knots. During the initial final approach, the pilot was blinded by the sun and aborted the landing. Considering a switch to runway 06, the pilot decided to continue on runway 24 due to traffic in the circuit and tailwind conditions on the alternative runway.
During the second final approach, the pilot was again blinded by the low sun. To maintain stability on the glide path and centerline, the pilot used their left hand to shield their eyes. At an estimated altitude of 300 to 500 feet, the pilot moved their left hand back to the power control lever. While still blinded, the pilot identified white and red markers, which they mistakenly interpreted as the runway threshold. The aircraft touched down on soft grass approximately 30 meters before the paved runway end, slightly left of the unpaved runway's edge. The contact caused the left main landing gear to break, resulting in a skid that brought the aircraft to a stop.
Contributing Factors and Analysis
The sun was positioned at 231 degrees with an elevation of only 5 degrees above the horizon, placing it less than 15 degrees off the runway 24 axis (QFU 244°). The BEA report notes that the blinding effect was likely exacerbated by reflections from the nearby Atlantic Ocean and the condition of the aircraft's canopy. The pilot had not checked the cleanliness of the canopy before the flight. The lack of sufficient external visual references prevented the pilot from recognizing they were below the glide path and drifting right, leading to the premature touchdown on the grass markers of the adjacent unpaved runway.
Safety Lessons
The investigation highlights that considering the sun's position prior to flight is rarely taught but can be critical for landings, takeoffs, and taxiing, especially for aircraft with large canopies and no sun visors. The pilot noted that had they checked the sun's position beforehand, they would have worn a cap to mitigate the glare.