What happened
On July 22, 2001, at 14:45, a SOCATA MS 893 Rallye Commodore, registered F-BPMD, was performing glider towing operations at the Saint-Gaudens aerodrome. After completing four successful towing cycles, the pilot attempted to land the aircraft on the unpaved runway.
As the aircraft reached the flare, the pilot realized the landing would likely overshoot the end of the runway. Consequently, the pilot initiated a go-around. During the initial climb, the aircraft's elevator struck the front of a car traveling on a road located just beyond the runway perimeter. The impact caused the aircraft to pitch forward, leading to a secondary impact with the ground approximately twenty meters further along the path.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making and the configuration of the aircraft during the go-around. The pilot had intentionally maintained a higher approach altitude to ensure the tow cable cleared a nearby cornfield, which stood approximately 2.5 meters high.
Investigators also examined the pilot's experience regarding towing operations. While the pilot was an experienced flyer with a commercial pilot license, they had only been performing glider towing for the club for one month, having completed approximately 60 such operations at that time. This specific type of activity was new to the pilot.