What happened
On May 9, 2014, at approximately 19:00, an MCR0-1 Mini Cruiser, registration F-PBRK, departed from the unpaved runway 02 at the Montélimar Ancône aerodrome for a private flight. The aircraft was occupied by two pilots. During the initial climb, the aircraft maintained a steep pitch attitude. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the aircraft entered a stall, resulting in a high-energy collision with the ground. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that destroyed the aircraft.
Witness accounts varied regarding the final moments of flight; one observer reported seeing the aircraft perform a right-hand roll followed by a nose-down spin, while another noted the aircraft appeared at a 90-degree right bank at a very low altitude.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, the engine, and the flight history of the occupants. The investigation found that the aircraft's engine and airframe showed no evidence of mechanical failure prior to the accident. The propeller was in a fine pitch position, and the flaps were found in the retracted position, though it could not be determined if they were retracted during the climb or if the takeoff was performed in a clean configuration. The aircraft was not equipped with a stall warning system.
Investigators also reviewed a handwritten note found among the owner's belongings, which detailed highly aggressive flight maneuvers performed the previous day in a mountainous region, including high-G maneuvers and low-altitude valley flying.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was likely an asymmetric stall occurring during the initial climb, resulting from the combination of a steep climb attitude and the aircraft's configuration.
- The lack of a stall warning system meant the crew had no automated alert to indicate the approaching stall.
- Evidence suggested a pattern of high-risk flight behavior, as indicated by the documentation of non-standard maneuvers performed by the pilots during previous flights.