What happened
During a scheduled test flight following recent maintenance work, a single-engine aircraft departed from Villeneuve Airport. The flight crew consisted of two pilots and one engineer. During the initial climb phase of the flight, the aircraft began experiencing significant longitudinal instability, characterized by alternating pitching motions. This instability led to a loss of altitude, and the aircraft subsequently crashed.
Findings
- The aircraft was performing a post-maintenance inspection flight.
- The flight experienced unstable pitch oscillations during the climb.
- The accident resulted in two fatalities and one serious injury.