What happened
On May 29, 1997, at approximately 18:00, a pilot was conducting a local flight in a Pendulaire XP microlight (identified as 41-GE) near Onzain, France. The flight was part of a series of structural fairing tests intended to prepare the aircraft for the French microlight championships.
During the second test flight, while the aircraft was maintaining level flight, the pilot slid from the seat and fell from the cockpit. The aircraft subsequently crashed a short distance away from the initial point of the pilot's fall. The accident resulted in the death of the pilot and significant damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the pilot's displacement from the seat. Investigators examined the aircraft's safety equipment, specifically the two-point aeronautical-type lap belt. The examination of the belt revealed no mechanical defects or functional failures in the equipment itself.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the lap belt had become detached.
- The aircraft, an amateur-built Pendulaire XP with an Air Création XP 15 wing, was undergoing performance testing.
- Meteorological conditions at the time were CAVOK with a temperature of 23 °C and winds from 060° at 13 knots, with gusts reaching 22 knots.