What happened
On January 2, 2014, a Piper PA2 .28-161, registration F-GIEJ, departed Meaux Esbly aerodrome for a local flight. After performing a touch-and-go on the unpaved runway 25L, the pilot initiated a second circuit with the specific intention of executing a short landing. This maneuver was planned to allow the aircraft to vacate the runway via taxiway A9, avoiding the need for a turnaround on the runway.
During the short final phase of the approach, the pilot experienced sudden sun glare as the sun appeared between cloud layers. Believing the aircraft was stabilized and that the touchdown point remained on the runway, the pilot continued the descent. Approximately 25 meters before the runway threshold, the left main landing gear struck a field boundary approximately 30 cm high, followed by a fence. The impact caused the aircraft to break up, and it came to a halt on the runway. The aircraft was heavily damaged.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's experience, the meteorological conditions, and the aircraft's performance capabilities. The pilot, a PPL(A) holder with 227 total flight hours, was wearing sunglasses at the time of the accident.
Meteorological data revealed a very cloudy sky with intermittent sunlight. High-altitude winds caused rapid changes in luminosity. At the time of the incident, the sun was positioned at an azimuth of approximately 210° and an elevation of 13° above the horizon. This placed the sun in the pilot's front-left sector, low on the horizon, creating a significant risk of glare during the final approach.
Regarding aircraft performance, the flight manual indicated that under the day's atmospheric conditions, the landing distance from 50 feet on a paved runway would be 300 meters. However, the manual provided no specific corrections for landing on an unpaved surface, leaving such evaluations to the pilot's discretion.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the landing approach despite being unable to clearly distinguish the runway due to sun glare.
- The sudden appearance of the sun between clouds created a period of intense brightness that obscured the pilot's vision during short final.
- The pilot's attempt to execute a short landing to facilitate a quick exit via taxiway A9 contributed to the proximity of the aircraft to the field boundary and fence.