What happened
On July 16, 2000, at approximately 16:30, a Glasflügel H201B Libelle glider, registered PH-481, was performing a local flight departing from the Barcelonnette aerodrome. The pilot had previously completed a training flight with an instructor the day before, but had not flown for eleven months prior to this operation.
After releasing from a tow at an altitude of roughly 400 meters near the ridges, approximately four kilometers southeast of the airfield, the pilot encountered insufficient lift to continue the flight. Consequently, the pilot decided to return to the aerodrome and entered the left base leg for runway 27. During the approach, the pilot determined that a standard landing on the runway was not possible. As a result, the pilot executed a controlled landing into trees located approximately 500 meters before the threshold of runway 27. Following the impact, the pilot manually activated the emergency beacon.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the decision to land off-runway. Investigators reviewed the pilot's experience, noting that while the pilot held a valid license, they had only 708 total flight hours and had not engaged in gliding activities for nearly a year. The meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were reported as CAVOK with a wind from 270° at 15 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the late decision to return to the aerodrome.
- The aircraft sustained minor damage during the collision with the trees.