What happened
On October 1, 2000, a Robin DR 400-160, registration F-GKQN, was preparing for a flight from Chavenay to Dieppe. The aircraft was operated by a flying club and was carrying the pilot and three passengers. During the pre-takeoff checks, engine parameters appeared normal. Due to the runway configuration, the pilot aligned the aircraft at a threshold offset approximately 100 meters from the start of the unpaved runway.
As the aircraft accelerated, the pilot initiated rotation once a speed of 100 km/h was reached. Following rotation, the aircraft maintained a level flight path at an altitude of approximately two meters, but with an excessively high pitch attitude. This caused the stall warning to activate continuously. Observing that the airspeed was not increasing beyond 110 km/h, the pilot attempted to land the aircraft back on the runway. During the landing attempt, the aircraft was slightly misaligned to the left, causing it to veer off the runway. Despite braking, the aircraft continued across the damp grass and struck an aerodrome fence, causing significant damage to the aircraft and destroying ten meters of fencing. The aircraft eventually came to a stop in a plowed field with the nose gear collapsed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the takeoff performance and the aircraft's configuration. It was established that the aircraft was near its maximum takeoff weight and was configured with an aft center of gravity. The investigation also reviewed engine settings, noting that the pilot applied 2100 rpm during takeoff, whereas the flight manual specifies a minimum engine speed of 2200 rpm (or 2250 rpm at sea level for this propeller type) for takeoff operations. Additionally, while the pilot had experience on this model, the aircraft used for the flight was a different variant than originally planned.