Fatal Training Flight Accident Involving Robin DR400-120 F-GCIQ

Incident Overview and Flight Details On August 21, 2010, a Robin DR400-120, registration F-GCIQ, operated by the aéroclub « Les Ailes Ardennaises », crashed near Montigny-sur-Vence (08), France. The aircraft was conducting a dual-command navigation flight for Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)) training, departing from Charleville-Mézières (08) at approximately 12:20 UTC. The flight route included stops at Sedan (08) and Rethel (08) before heading northeast back toward the departure aerodrome. During the final leg, the crew performed a field landing exercise in a pasture. At 13:09 UTC, the aircraft struck one of three cables of a medium-voltage power line at an altitude of approximately 50 feet (15 meters) and impacted the ground about 100 meters later. Both occupants, a 62-year-old instructor and a 63-year-old student, were killed. The aircraft was destroyed, and no damage was reported to the power line. ## Investigation Findings and Probable Cause The Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) investigation determined that the accident resulted from the decision to continue the field landing exercise beyond the assigned minimum altitude. Contributing factors included the selection of a field that had not apparently been previously surveyed by the instructor and the low contrast of the power line, which made it difficult to detect. Technical examinations of the engine revealed no malfunction, and the engine was delivering power at the time of the accident. The investigation noted that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight recorder, which is not required by regulation for this type of operation. The report was published in February 2012 and did not include safety recommendations.