What happened
On the evening of March 23, 2001, a Pottier P 270 S aircraft, registration F-PLMJ, was engaged in a ferry flight from Pontivy to Vannes. The flight was intended to be a short 14-minute transit to prepare the aircraft for delivery to a new owner the following day.
Departing at 19:3 0, approximately 20 minutes behind schedule, the pilot initially maintained an altitude of 2,000 feet. During the flight, the pilot altered course to westward to avoid a cloud mass and descended to 1,000 feet. As the aircraft approached the coast, the pilot encountered heavy maritime fog, which significantly reduced visibility and prevented the localization of the Vannes aerodrome.
In an attempt to find an alternative landing site, the pilot turned south and descended to 300 feet, intending to follow the coastline toward Lorient. After failing to establish radio contact with Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, or Quiberon, and facing approaching darkness, the pilot decided to perform a precautionary landing in a field at Kerhenry, near Arradon. During the landing roll, the aircraft struck a fence, resulting in damage to the propeller and the leading edge of the wings.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making process regarding weather and flight planning. It was established that the pilot had attempted to check meteorological conditions prior to departure by calling the Vannes control tower; however, because the tower was closed, the pilot instead consulted a contact in Vannes who lacked aeronautical expertise. This individual provided an optimistic but inaccurate assessment of the cloud cover.
Findings
- The pilot made the inappropriate decision to proceed with the flight based on insufficient meteorological information.
- The flight was undertaken despite approaching nightfall and deteriorating visibility.
- There was a strong desire to reach the destination aerodrome, which influenced the decision to continue despite the weather.
- A diversion to the departure aerodrome had not been considered as a viable option.