What happened
On the afternoon of November 17, 2002, a Fly Synthesis Storch Compact Jabiru ultralight aircraft, identified as 44-AAL, was involved in a fatal accident at the Saint-Brévin-les-Pins ULM airfield. Following the replacement of the aircraft's propeller, the pilot conducted ground tests which were successful. The pilot then decided to proceed with a flight test.
During the takeoff roll toward the west, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately five meters before the pilot lost visual contact with the ground. Less than one minute after departing the runway, the aircraft struck the ground. The wreckage was located approximately 100 meters to the right of the northern end of the North/South runway. The impact occurred with the aircraft in a steep nose-down attitude, nearly vertical.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight conditions and the aircraft's state at the moment of impact. Witnesses at the scene, including a flight instructor, noted that the meteorological conditions were highly unfavorable, characterized by calm winds but extremely limited visibility, with horizontal visibility measured at 150 meters and vertical visibility at only 5 meters.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine was delivering power at the time of the crash and that the propeller was correctly secured. An instructor present at the airfield testified that they had attempted to dissuade the pilot from attempting the takeoff given the poor weather conditions.