What happened
On Monday, November 13, 2000, at 13:45, a Robin DR 400-200 R, registration F-GSRM, was involved in a landing accident at the Romans aerodrome. The aircraft, operated by a flying club, was conducting a cross-country flight with four people on board.
After departing Romans earlier that afternoon, the pilot encountered unfavorable weather conditions near Montélimar and elected to return to the departure airfield. During the approach to runway 24, which is an unpaved 735-meter strip, the pilot initially assessed that the wind direction was nearly aligned with the runway. However, during the landing sequence, the aircraft made initial contact with the ground and subsequently bounced. Upon the second touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to come to a halt approximately 60 meters further down the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the final approach and the physical state of the runway. Investigators noted that wind measurements taken at Valence, located 20 kilometers from the site, indicated a wind of 180 degrees at 25 knots, with gusts reaching 38 knots. The pilot noted that the aircraft was traveling at a high speed during the short final phase of the approach. Additionally, the pilot indicated that the initial bounce was triggered by an undulation in the runway surface.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, engine mount, nose gear, and cabin floor.
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive speed during the short final approach.
- The presence of an undulation on the unpaved runway contributed to the initial bounce.