What happened
On August 18, 2008, a student pilot operating a Robin DR 315, registration F-BRZO, departed Lyon Corbas aerodrome for a solo circuit training flight. This marked the student's fifth solo flight. During the first circuit, while performing a downwind leg, the pilot partially extended the flaps by only one notch.
As the aircraft approached the final segment, an instructor on the ground, observing from another aircraft, noticed the Robin DR 315 was flying above the glidepath and suggested a reduction in engine power. However, the instructor subsequently lost visual contact with the student aircraft while continuing a lesson with another student. The student pilot continued the approach at a speed of approximately 150 km/h, significantly higher than the recommended 110 km/h for the configured landing. The aircraft touched down only 160 meters from the end of the unpaved runway 36R. The aircraft bounced twice before exiting the runway, striking a fence and crossing a road before coming to rest in vegetation 150 meters beyond the runway threshold. The pilot sustained one injury and the aircraft was destroyed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the final approach and the pilot's decision-making process. Investigators established that the pilot was preoccupied with achieving a "full" landing and failed to monitor the proper flap configuration or airspeed. Furthermore, the investigation examined the meteorological conditions, noting a discrepancy between surface winds and winds at altitude. While surface winds were light and from the north, winds at 1,000 feet were from the south. Neither the student pilot nor the supervising instructor were aware of this wind shear potential.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's persistence in attempting to land despite an unstabilized approach.
- The pilot failed to monitor the aircraft's airspeed and flap configuration, focusing instead on the landing technique.
- There was insufficient supervision of the solo flight, as the instructor lost visual contact with the aircraft.
- The pilot and the instructor were unaware of the wind direction change between the surface and 1,000 feet.