What happened
On May 18, 2011, a Robin DR400-180, registration F-GOVD, departed from Chartres for Dieppe with the pilot and two passengers on board. During the flight, the pilot observed deteriorating weather conditions and a cloud front that appeared unsuitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations. Consequently, the pilot decided to divert to the Rouen aerodrome.
While landing on runway 22, the aircraft struck the paved surface heavily on the nose gear, followed by two subsequent bounces. After taxiing to the parking area, the crew inspected the aircraft and discovered significant damage to the propeller, the nose gear, the left main landing gear, and the firewall. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the pilot's decision-making regarding the diversion. The crew reported that just before the flare, they felt the tail of the aircraft lift, causing the nose gear to impact the runway forcefully. They noted that no stall warning was heard during the maneuver. At the time of the accident, the wind was recorded at 220 degrees at 6 knots.
Regarding flight planning, the pilot had prepared a direct route from Chartres to Dieppe, which involved traversing the Rouen CTR. Prior to departure, the pilot had consulted the 09:00 UTC TEMSI weather chart, which indicated potential weather degradation along the coast. The pilot was aware that Dieppe might be unreachable and had pre-planned a diversion to Rouen as a contingency.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a loss of control immediately preceding the flare, which led to the heavy impact on the nose gear.
- The investigation could not establish the specific reason why the pilot experienced the perceived loss of control or the sudden pitch change during the landing phase.