What happened
On Sunday, January 26, 2003, a Robin DR 1051 M, registration F-PYXV, departed from the private airfield at Mouy for a short VFR navigation flight to Beauvais. The flight was estimated to last approximately fifteen minutes and required the pilot to cross a hill roughly 200 meters in height.
At 11:30, the pilot contacted Beauvais air traffic control to announce intentions to land. Shortly after, the controller observed the aircraft deviating from its planned course, heading southwest toward Pontoise and approaching the "SE" waypoint of Beauvais. When asked to confirm the destination, the pilot reaffirmed his intent to land at Beauvais. Moments later, radio and radar contact with the aircraft was lost.
The wreckage was located in a clearing shortly after the disappearance. The impact analysis revealed that the aircraft struck the ground with high energy while in a steep right-hand turn with a significant nose-down attitude. Witnesses near the site reported that the area was obscured by clouds, with visibility estimated at less than 50 meters.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's flight path and the cockpit instrumentation. It was determined that the aircraft's transponder lacked an altitude encoder, and the radar at Beauvais only detected aircraft above approximately 950 feet. Furthermore, the aircraft was equipped with two artificial horizons, both of which were non-functional—a condition the pilot was aware of prior to the flight.
Meteorological data from Beauvais indicated a significant degradation in weather conditions during the flight period. While conditions at the time of departure from Mouy were reported as good, a warm front was passing through the area, leading to increased cloud cover and reduced visibility.
Findings
- The pilot experienced a loss of external visual references due to deteriorating weather.
- The pilot demonstrated an obstinacy in attempting to reach the destination despite the worsening conditions.
- The aircraft struck the terrain during a high-energy maneuver in low visibility.