What happened
On Wednesday, June 16, 1999, at 17:50 local time, a Cessna 150 M, registration F-GAQC, was performing a solo navigation flight as part of a private pilot training program. The flight was traveling from Le Castellet to Cuers aerodrome. During the approach to runway 29, the pilot utilized 40 degrees of flaps.
As the aircraft neared the runway, the pilot failed to execute a proper flare, resulting in a landing with a significant nose-down pitch. The impact caused the nose gear to collapse, and the aircraft came to a stop on the paved runway. There were no fatalities or injuries reported among the two occupants, which included a student pilot and an instructor.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the pilot's management of the landing configuration. While the most recent weather report obtained by the crew at 09:00 local time predicted light southwesterly winds, conditions at the time of the accident were more challenging. At the nearby Hyères aerodrome, winds were recorded from 240° at 13 to 17 knots.
Investigators determined that the aircraft was subject to a crosswind component of 8 to 11 knots, including gusts. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's flight manual, which specifies that when crosswind landing conditions are necessary, the pilot should use minimum flaps relative to the available runway length.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the insufficient consideration of crosswind effects during the landing phase.
- The nose gear and propeller sustained damage due to the high-impact landing.
- The pilot's failure to properly flare the aircraft led to the nose gear failure.