On May 1, 1998, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration F-GABV) operated by Société Soon was involved in an aviation accident near Mt des Avaloirs, France during landing or approach. 2 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot was completing the approach under VFR mode in IMC conditions, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft on approach to Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Airport in poor weather struck Mount des Avaloirs, killing both occupants. The pilot was flying VFR in IMC conditions.
Accident Details
An aircraft on a flight from Toussus-le-Noble was cleared to descend to Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Airport, located approximately 37 km northwest of Alençon. During the final approach, the aircraft encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds. The aircraft struck the slope of Mount des Avaloirs, a peak 417 meters high, situated 20 km short of runway 30. The wreckage was discovered 104 meters below the summit. Both occupants were killed in the accident. At the time of the impact, the cloud ceiling was reported to be up to 100 meters above ground level.
Investigation Findings
The investigation into the accident determined the probable cause: the pilot was completing the approach under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).