What happened
On October 10, 2006, a privately operated Beechcraft 200 King Air, registration N3103L, was conducting a flight from Mulhouse Habsheim to Courchevel Altiport. After transitioning from instrument flight rules to visual flight rules near Geneva, the pilot in the left seat assumed command of the aircraft. Upon arrival at Courchevel, the crew performed a standard procedure to establish altimetric references and check local conditions.
During the landing circuit, the aircraft entered a stall during the very short final approach, striking the ground at the beginning of the runway. The aircraft remained on the paved surface and was able to taxi to the parking area under its own power. The impact caused substantial damage to the airframe, wing, engine, and left main landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight crew's actions and the aircraft's performance during the approach. Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) analysis revealed that the pilot in the right seat repeatedly warned the commander about insufficient airspeed during the circuit. In the seven seconds leading up to the impact, the stall warning horn sounded continuously. The right-seat pilot issued urgent commands to increase power, but the turbine engines experienced a sudden and asymmetric increase in power just before the aircraft hit the ground.
Investigators also examined the crew's experience levels and the specific challenges of the aircraft type. While both pilots were experienced in landing at Courchevel using much lighter piston-engine aircraft, this was their first time operating a turboprop-equipped aircraft at this high-altitude airfield.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was insufficient pilot skills to safely execute the landing approach in this specific aircraft type.
- The pilot in command reduced power too much during the final approach.
- The crew was caught off guard by the response time required for the turboprop engines to spool up to the necessary power.
- The pilots' previous experience at Courchevel was based on much lighter, piston-engine aircraft, which did not prepare them for the handling characteristics of a larger turboprop.