What happened
On the afternoon of June 27, 2023, an ultralight aircraft was performing a flight near Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France. During the flight, the aircraft encountered a sudden and significant loss of altitude. The pilot attempted to recover the aircraft by increasing engine power; however, the descent continued, leading to a crash. The impact resulted in one fatality, the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight dynamics and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators examined the aircraft's performance during the descent and the pilot's corrective actions. The analysis included reviewing the sequence of events leading from the initial loss of altitude to the final impact, specifically looking at the engine's response to the power increase and the aerodynamic state of the aircraft during the maneuver.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude during the flight.
- The pilot attempted to regain altitude by applying maximum engine power.
- The loss of altitude was not recovered despite the increase in power, leading to the crash.
- The investigation established that the aircraft's descent could not be arrested through power application alone.