What happened
On the morning of July 22, 2010, a Robin DR400-180, registration F-GDYT, departed from Sarre-Union for a flight to Nîmes Courbessac, with a planned refueling stop at Dôle Tavaux. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers. During the cruise phase, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions and decided to divert to Vesoul Frotey, an uncontrolled aerodrome.
Due to a low cloud ceiling, the pilot was unable to perform a standard landing circuit. After communicating with personnel on the ground, the pilot proceeded on final approach to runway 08. During the flare, the aircraft stalled, struck the runway, and veered off to the right side of the pavement. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions and the pilot's flight planning. At the time of the accident, witnesses at Vesoul noted that low-level stratus clouds were moving into the area, obscuring the terrain to the south and west. While the pilot had access to weather reports (METAR and TAF) for several airports along the route, there was no active METAR for Vesoul at the time. Previous reports indicated low ceilings and the inaccessibility of the intended stop at Dôle.
Investigators also reviewed the pilot's experience and the available aeronautical information. The pilot had held a PPL(A) since July 2009, with approximately 106 total flight hours. Notably, the pilot did not have the most recent TEMSI weather chart, which indicated potential thunderstorms and rain showers in the area. Witnesses on the ground observed the aircraft in difficulty near the runway threshold and noted that the pilot appeared stressed during ground interactions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the runway collision was a stall likely resulting from a flare performed too high.
- The pilot elected to proceed with the flight despite unfavorable weather forecasts.
- The decision to divert to an aerodrome with low visibility and an ascending runway slope contributed to the difficulty of the landing maneuver.