What happened
On July 19, 2008, at approximately 11:50 AM, a mid-air collision occurred between two ultralight aircraft during the final approach to runway 01L at the Saint-Rambert-d’Albon airfield. The first aircraft, a Sky Arrow 500 TF with registration 26-KR, was returning from a navigation flight. The second aircraft, an Air Création GTE Trek (pendular type) with registration 26-XB, was performing a local flight.
As the pilot of the 26-XB approached the runway, he performed a series of turns after takeoff, eventually integrating into a long final approach at 700 feet. During the final approach, the pilot reduced engine power and entered a steep descent to approximately 500 feet. Simultaneously, the pilot of the 26-KR was observing the traffic pattern. He noted the presence of two aircraft: the 26-XB ahead of him and another aircraft, though he described the 26-KR as being on a standard aircraft-style glide path. The pilot of the 26-XB was carrying a passenger for a discovery flight.
The collision occurred approximately four meters above the runway threshold. The lower left strut of the 26-XB struck and tore away the horizontal stabilizer of the 26-KR. The 26-KR impacted the runway 40 meters from the threshold in a steep nose-down attitude, resulting in the death of the pilot and serious injuries to the passenger. The 26-XB came to rest 20 meters further down the runway, with both the pilot and passenger sustaining serious injuries. Both aircraft were destroyed.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the flight paths of both aircraft. The investigation established that the pilot of the 26-XB had descended significantly during his final approach. While the pilot of the 26-KR had broadcasted radio calls regarding two aircraft on final approach, the pilot of the 26-XB did not recall hearing these transmissions. Furthermore, the radio in the 26-KR was found to be set to the self-announcement frequency (123.5 MHz) at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the lack of awareness regarding the presence of the other aircraft within the airfield traffic pattern.
- The pilot of the 26-XB performed a steep descent during the final approach, which likely contributed to the collision.
- The pilot of the 26-KR was using a self-announcement frequency, which may have hindered effective communication with other pilots in the circuit.