What happened
On August 17, 2015, a Robin DR400-160, registration F-GYKL, was performing a local flight with three passengers near the Avranches Le Val–Saint-Père aerodrome. During the approach to runway 21, the pilot determined the aircraft was too low on the final approach path. Due to the sun being positioned directly in front of the aircraft and a focus on managing the landing, the pilot failed to identify the runway markings.
The aircraft's main landing gear touched down approximately 300 meters before the runway threshold in a recently mown field that appeared similar to the unpaved runway. While taxiing after touchdown at an estimated speed of 60 km/h, the pilot lateley identified a ditch. The aircraft struck the edge of the ditch and came to a stop 15 meters further along. The accident resulted in damage to the aircraft, specifically affecting the landing gear, propeller, and engine cowling.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's approach and visual perception during the landing phase. The pilot, holding a PPL(A) license with 235 total flight hours, had very limited recent experience, with only two hours flown in the preceding three months. The pilot stated that they had not attempted to visually confirm the runway markings for runway 03/21 during the final approach, instead remaining focused on a pre-selected touchdown point.