What happened
On October 2, 2001, a Robin DR 400 - 140 B, registration F-BUSN, was conducting a flight from Saint-Girons to the Tarbes Laloubère aerodrome. Upon arriving over the airfield at 1,500 feet, the pilot observed the windsock and elected to use runway 26. The pilot entered the traffic pattern via the downwind leg and proceeded to the final approach with flaps set to the second notch.
During the final approach, an instructor on the ground observed both the Robin DR 400 - 140 B and a microlight (ULM) on converging approaches. The instructor alerted the pilot of the microlight's presence, but the pilot continued the landing attempt. During the flare, the aircraft bounced and subsequently struck the ground on its nose gear, which collapsed. The aircraft then veered to the left, passed through a pylon, and ended up in an inverted position. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's awareness of surrounding traffic and the environmental conditions during the landing phase. The pilot stated that they did not observe the microlight during the circuit and noted that the windsock indicated calm conditions. While the pilot reported transmitting several radio messages during the pattern integration and circuit, they received no radio responses, though they did hear the instructor's verbal warning from the ground.
Findings
- The investigation established that the pilot failed to correctly recover from a bounced landing.
- The pilot's attention was disrupted, and there was insufficient consideration of the surrounding environment.
- Low sun angle during the flare likely hindered the pilot's ability to visually identify the converging microlight on final approach.
- There was a lack of effective radio communication, as the pilot's transmissions went unacknowledged by other aircraft in the circuit.