What happened
On November 25, 2012, a Cessna 172, registration F-GEJZ, departed from Pontoise Cormeilles-en-Vexin aerodrome for a local flight carrying three passengers. After approximately twenty minutes of flight, the pilot requested a touch-and-go maneuver on runway 23. During the final approach, the pilot reported being on the glide path in landing configuration at a speed of approximately 65 knots.
As the aircraft approached the runway threshold, the pilot's view of the horizon was obscured by intense sunlight. Consequently, the pilot failed to execute the flare, causing the nose gear to strike the runway with significant force. The aircraft underwent several subsequent bounces before coming to a halt on the runway. The pilot managed to taxi the aircraft to the parking area, but the aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation established that at the time of the accident, the sun was positioned at an azimuth of 235° and a very low altitude of approximately 1°, while the runway heading (QFU) was 226°. The pilot was not wearing sunglasses and did not request a runway change from air traffic control, despite the potential for glare. The pilot noted that the violence of the initial impact discouraged a go-around attempt.
Air traffic controllers reported that the runway selection was based on wind conditions (210° at 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots). While controllers consider solar position when selecting runways, they rely on pilots to report any visual interference. Notably, five other pilots had performed landings on runway 23 in the twenty minutes preceding the accident without reporting any issues with sun glare.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the landing approach despite being unable to clearly distinguish the runway due to solar glare during the final stages of flight.
- The pilot failed to request an alternative runway or a change in approach direction despite the low sun angle.
- The lack of sunglasses contributed to the pilot's inability to mitigate the effects of the glare.