What happened
On September 28, 2008, at approximately 18:00, a Comco IkarUS C 22 ultralight, identified as 94-HP, was conducting a flight from Nangis to the Voulton airfield. The pilot, flying solo with one passenger, intended to save time by integrating directly into a long final approach for runway 36, an unpaved strip.
During the descent, approximately 400 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft struck a high-voltage power line measuring roughly 15 meters in height. The impact caused the aircraft to crash to the ground, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft. Neither the pilot nor the passenger observed the wires prior to the collision.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path and the operational procedures at the Voulton airfield. The pilot, who had been based at the airfield for two years, stated that while he usually performs approaches from the rear wind, he had chosen to maintain power through the final approach to reach a specific touchdown point on a taxiway extension located south of the main runway.
Investigators noted that the airfield's layout includes a 100-meter taxiway section south of the runway. While a 1996 prefectural decree established the airfield, the investigation found that the power lines sit approximately 10 meters above the level of the runway threshold due to terrain elevation changes. Local pilots indicated that, due to the known hazard of the power lines, they typically land facing south during calm wind conditions to avoid the obstacle.
Findings
- The pilot forgot the presence of the obstacle during the final approach.
- The approach was conducted using an inappropriate use of the airfield's infrastructure, specifically attempting to land on a portion of the taxiway that placed the aircraft in the path of the wires.
- The pilot's decision to maintain power until touchdown, a departure from his usual approach profile, contributed to the flight path intersecting the lines.