What happened
On Friday, February 19, 1998, at approximately 15:00, a ground collision occurred on the apron at Mâcon aerodrome. The incident involved two aircraft operated by the same club: a Jodel D 112 (registration F-PFCZ) and a Robin DR 400 - 120 (registration F-GDYX).
The sequence of events began when a student pilot was pushing the F-GDYX out of a hangar. Simultaneously, the pilot of the F-PFCZ began the engine start sequence and immediately commenced taxiing toward a hangar. In an attempt to avoid a collision with the moving F-GDYX, the pilot of the F-PFCZ steered to the left. However, the maneuver was insufficient to prevent contact, and the left leading edge of the F-PFCZ wing struck the right aileron of the F-GDYX. This impact caused the F-PFCZ to pivot sharply to the left, resulting in the propeller striking the right wing leading edge of the F-GDYX.
Both aircraft sustained damage. The F-PFCZ suffered a broken propeller and slight damage to the left wing leading edge, while the F-GDYX sustained damage to its right aileron, right wing leading edge, and spar.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the taxiing maneuvers and the pre-start procedures of the F-PFCZ. Investigators examined the actions of the pilot of the F-PFCZ and the movement of the F-GDYX during the hangar extraction process. The investigation established that the pilot of the F-PFCZ had failed to perform a critical step in the engine start checklist.