Jodel D140 Mousquetaire OO-VVK Runway Excursion at Courchevel Altiport

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On 30 April 2011 at 16:00 local time, a Jodel D140 Mousquetaire registered OO-VVK, operated by a club, experienced a runway excursion at the Courchevel altiport in France. The aircraft sustained severe damage. The flight was conducted by a 33-year-old pilot-instructor holding a commercial pilot license, instrument rating, and mountain qualifications, with 2,200 total flight hours including 1,200 on type. A second instructor was seated in the right seat. ## Sequence of Events During the landing rollout on runway 22, the pilot-instructor heard a dull noise and felt the left rudder pedal depress fully to the firewall. This loss of rudder control caused the aircraft to veer off the runway to the right. The right-seat instructor did not have sufficient time to intervene using their own rudder pedals. ## Technical Investigation The Jodel D140 features a three-position adjustable rudder pedal system with a retractable stop. Examination revealed that the left pedal's stop had disengaged from its housing. The investigation could not determine whether this disengagement resulted from mechanical wear or pilot action during flight. The report noted that some D140 operators had previously welded the adjustment stop in place after similar occurrences. ## Environmental Conditions Weather conditions at the time included a wind from 320° at 8 knots, clear visibility (CAVOK), a temperature of +2°C, and a QNH of 1005 hPa.