What happened
On Wednesday, October 22, 1997, at 16:40, a Cessna 152, registration F-GCYE, was conducting its second solo cross-country flight. The flight originated from Le Havre with the intended destination of Amiens. During the flight, the pilot successfully identified several landmarks; however, the pilot was unable to locate the town of Aumale, which was a planned waypoint on the itinerary.
Believing the aircraft was approaching Amiens, the pilot continued flying for approximately 15 minutes. Upon failing to find the expected landmarks, the pilot decided to turn back toward Le Havre. During the return leg, the pilot became lost and spent roughly one hour searching for an airfield without success. Eventually, the pilot decided to perform an emergency landing in a rural area. The only available landing site was a plowed field. While the initial phase of the landing proceeded normally, the nose wheel sank into the soft soil, causing the aircraft to overturn. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's navigation and the circumstances leading to the loss of situational awareness. Meteorological data from the Evreux weather station, located 40 km from the site, indicated calm winds, visibility greater than 10 km, and a temperature of 12 °C.
Investigators established that the pilot believed the aircraft was located in northern Seine-Maritime, when in reality, the aircraft was approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Le Havre. The investigation also noted that the heading chosen to return to Le Havre placed the sun directly in the pilot's line of sight, though this did not significantly impair visibility. Furthermore, the investigation found that the pilot did not attempt to utilize available radio navigation aids during the period of disorientation.