What happened
On Sunday, February 14, 1999, at approximately 12:40, a collision occurred between two aircraft at the Pêne-de-Soulit altisurface in France. The incident involved two Piper PA 18-150 Super Cubs, registered as F-BLEY and F-BKBE.
The aircraft F-BKBE, carrying an instructor and a student, had performed a reconnaissance of the site and landed on the western slope of the pass. However, the landing was too short to allow the aircraft to reach the higher landing platform required for a subsequent takeoff. Consequently, the pilot and two assistants were in the process of manually pushing the aircraft toward the platform.
During this period, the aircraft F-LEBY, also carrying an instructor and a student, landed on the eastern slope of the site. The pilot of F-BLEY intended to perform a "touch-and-go" maneuver. As the F-BKBE reached the landing platform, it was struck by the F-BLEY.
Both aircraft sustained heavy damage during the collision. No fatalities or injuries were reported among the four occupants involved.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact and the lack of situational awareness regarding other aircraft at the site. Investigators examined radio communications and the flight profiles of both aircraft. It was established that the pilot of F-BLEY had operated under the mistaken belief that the only other aircraft in the area had landed at a different location entirely. This misunderstanding was a key factor in the pilot's decision to land without first performing a reconnaissance of the Pêne-de-Soulit site.