What happened
On October 24, 2011, a Jodel D140, registration F-BKSS, was performing an instructional flight from Megève when it attempted a landing at the Saint Roch Mayères altisurface. During the landing roll on the unpaved runway, the aircraft pitched upward until it reached a vertical position before dropping heavily onto its tailwheel.
Video footage captured from the ground confirmed that the aircraft touched down mid-runway. The impact caused the propeller to strike the ground and be destroyed, and the fuselage experienced a violent descent. Following the incident, a club mechanic performed a temporary repair on-site, replacing the propeller and the rear spring blade, after which the aircraft was flown back to Megève.
The investigation
The investigation examined the actions of the crew, which consisted of a flight instructor and a student pilot. The instructor, a highly experienced pilot with nearly 6,000 total flight hours, noted that the pitch-up occurred following the application of brakes. The student pilot, flying under a Swiss PPL, had significantly less recent experience on this specific aircraft type.
Investigators analyzed the runway characteristics at Saint Roch Mayères, which is an unpaved strip measuring 300 meters by 35 meters at an altitude of 1,550 meters. The investigation also reviewed the subsequent decision to return the aircraft to service in a mountainous environment following the makeshift repairs.