What happened
On September 7, 2004, a Robin DR 400-160, registered F-GNNM, was conducting a flight from Etampes to Granville. Upon arrival at Granville, the pilot performed a reconnaissance pass at 1,500 feet. During this approach, the pilot observed that the windsock appeared to be positioned nearly parallel to the runway axis.
The pilot entered the landing circuit on the downwind leg for runway 25. While performing maneuvers in the circuit, the pilot encountered significant turbulence. The aircraft touched down at a speed of 130 km/h, causing the plane to bounce before a subsequent hard impact with the runway. Following the impact, the pilot performed a go-around and verified that the flight controls remained functional.
Deciding that the aircraft required inspection, the pilot returned to the home aeroclub at Etampes. During the taxi phase after landing at Etampes, the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft and brought it to a halt on the taxiway. The inspection revealed that the nose landing gear had been bent.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the pilot's decision-making process. Witnesses at Granville reported that the wind was actually blowing along the axis of runway 07. The pilot had prepared for the flight noting an easterly flow in the region and had set a personal requirement to land only if the wind was perfectly aligned with the runway axis.
Investigators examined the pilot's observation of the windsock. It was determined that while the pilot observed the orientation of the windsock, they failed to correctly identify the direction of the wind flow. This led to the aircraft being operated in a tailwind condition during the landing attempt.
Findings
- The primary cause of the hard landing was the misinterpretation of the wind direction indicated by the windsock.
- The pilot focused on a single visual criterion (the orientation of the windsock) to make the landing decision, while omitting the verification of the actual wind direction.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the nose landing gear.