Accident Overview
On 17 August 2015 at 16:00 local time, a Robin DR400-160, registration F-GYKL, operated by a flying club, was returning from a local flight with the pilot and three passengers. The pilot intended to land on runway 21 at Avranches Le Val–Saint-Père aerodrome (Manche, France). The runway was unpaved, measuring 880 by 108 meters.
Sequence of Events
During the final approach, the pilot realized he was too low for a landing on the runway. With the sun directly in front of him and attention focused on managing the landing, he did not identify the runway markings. The main wheels touched down approximately 300 meters before the runway 21 threshold, in a recently mowed field that had a similar appearance to the runway. During the landing roll, the pilot belatedly detected a ditch in the field at an estimated speed of 60 km/h. The aircraft struck the edge of the ditch and came to a stop 15 meters beyond.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)) and had accumulated 235 total flight hours, including two hours in the three months preceding the accident and one hour in the month before. He stated that when he saw the ditch, aborting the landing would not have allowed him to avoid it. He added that at no point did he attempt to identify the runway markings for runway 03/21, and during final approach he remained focused on his chosen touchdown point.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft's landing gear, propeller, and engine cowling were damaged.
Remarks
The information in this report is based solely on the pilot's testimony, and its validity is not assured. The investigation was conducted by the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA).