What happened
On September 26, 2015, at 15:30, a Schemli Hirth Janus glider, registration F-CEPP, was conducting a local discovery flight near the Montluçon-Guéret aerodrome. The flight, operated by a local club, included the pilot and one passenger.
The flight began at 15:10 via aero-tow from runway 35. By 15:16, the aircraft was approximately 1,000 meters northwest of the aerodrome at an altitude of 700 meters. The pilot proceeded south, performing a vertical maneuver over the airfield facilities. At 15:20, while attempting to climb via a right-hand spiral, the aircraft maintained a relatively constant altitude of approximately 500 meters. As the glider moved southwest to a distance of 6,500 meters, it descended to 400 meters.
After turning north, the aircraft reached an altitude of 200 meters approximately 4,500 meters west of the runway threshold. The pilot then directed the aircraft toward the runway on a steady descent. Seeking to land in a previously identified field, the pilot initiated a low-altitude right-hand turn. During this maneuver, the left wing struck the tops of trees, causing the glider to roll steeply into the ground. The accident occurred approximately 700 meters west of the threshold of runway 35.
The investigation
The BEA examined flight data and witness testimonies to reconstruct the flight path and the pilot's decision-making process. The investigation focused on the aircraft's altitude, the maneuver performed to reach the landing site, and the environmental factors present at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The pilot's decision to execute a maneuver at a low altitude to reach the chosen field did not provide sufficient clearance from obstacles.
- The low-altitude maneuver was the result of a late decision to return to the aerodrome, driven by the day's aerological conditions and a subsequent determination to reach the airfield.