What happened
On Wednesday, September 23, 1998, a Piper PA-24-250 registered F-BLYZ was conducting a flight from Royan to Toulouse. Shortly after departure, the pilot discovered that the aircraft door was not properly locked. To address this issue, the pilot decided to divert to the Montendre aerodrome.
While flying over the airfield at 1,800 feet, the pilot assessed the wind conditions as negligible. The aircraft began its final approach at 1,200 feet with a steep descent angle. The aircraft touched down on the first third of the unpaved runway at a high speed. Upon applying the braking system, the aircraft experienced several swerves. Realizing the aircraft could not be stopped before the end of the runway, the pilot initiated a go-around. During the maneuver, the aircraft crossed an embankment and landed flat after traversing two ditches, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters and the runway conditions at the time of the accident. The runway at Montendre, which consisted of a central strip of compacted gravel, was wet. Meteorological conditions at the site included visibility greater than 10 km (reduced to 6 km during precipitation), scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, and winds from 120° at 10 to 15 knots.
Calculations determined that, following manufacturer recommendations for approach speed, the required landing distance from the 15-meter threshold was 470 meters, with a further 260 meters required for the landing roll. The available runway length was 580 meters with a 0.5% downward slope.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an unstabilized final approach characterized by a steep descent angle and excessive speed.
- A late decision-making process regarding the go-around contributed to the excursion.