What happened
On March 3, 2013, at approximately 16:30, a student pilot was conducting a solo instructional flight at the Meuzac ULM platform in France. The pilot was operating a paramotor, identified as 44-ADJ, at an altitude of roughly 200 meters. While the student was flying without radio communication, an instructor was supervising another student from the ground via radio.
Witnesses observed the right side of the wing collapse and subsequently reinflate with a loud pop. Simultaneously, a sudden increase in engine power was noted, and the aircraft entered a sharp right-hand turn with a high rate of descent. The aircraft performed two or three rapid spirals before striking a local road near the airfield with significant force. The impact resulted in the death of the pilot and extensive damage to the paramotor.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's configuration and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The engine was running at high power during the descent, and the fuel tank contained approximately 5 liters of fuel. The pilot's harness was properly buckled, and all structural damage was determined to be a direct result of the ground impact.
Investigators noted that the pitch compensator was set to a nose-down position. Meteorological conditions were stable, with light winds and no significant turbulence or aerodynamic disturbances reported by other pilots in the area. The student pilot had been training since August 2012 and had accumulated approximately 10 hours of flight time on training equipment and 4 hours on the 44-ADJ.
Findings
- The investigation could not definitively determine the cause of the initial partial wing collapse, though it may have resulted from an improper pilot position under the wing.
- An inappropriate power adjustment by the pilot, combined with the nose-down pitch compensator setting, likely induced the tight, high-G spiral dive.
- The rapid rotation during the spiral could have led to high G-forces, potentially causing pilot incapacitation.