What happened
On October 17, 2011, a Socata TB20, registration F-GENS, was performing a local flight at Lognes aerodrome. After completing several circuits at Coulommiers, the pilot returned to Lognes to land on the paved runway 08. During the traffic pattern, the pilot encountered several other aircraft ahead. To maintain separation from a preceding aircraft, the pilot widened the circuit, turning to a heading of 180 degrees on base leg before reducing speed to 85 knots and extending landing flaps.
During the final approach, the aircraft struck the treetops of the Bois de Célie, located approximately 650 meters from the runway threshold. The pilot immediately announced an aborted approach. Witnesses on the radio frequency confirmed seeing the aircraft strike the trees. Following the incident, the pilot performed a subsequent circuit and landed safely on the unpaved runway 08 after an instructor in another aircraft suggested the alternative runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's flight path and situational awareness. The pilot stated that he began the final turn at an altitude of only 200 feet. During the final approach, his attention was divided between monitoring his airspeed and maintaining a safe distance from the aircraft ahead of him. He admitted that he did not see the trees during the approach.
Investigators noted that while the paved runway 08 was the preferred runway, it lacked a PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) at the time. A recent obstacle survey from June 2009 had not identified any obstacles near the approach path for runway 08. Additionally, the pilot's arrival on final was closely timed with other traffic; he announced his position only seven seconds after one aircraft and two seconds after a PA28 had already announced their positions on final. The pilot had 170 total flight hours, with 40 hours on this specific type.
Findings
- The pilot's attention was focused on maintaining position relative to the preceding aircraft.
- This focus came at the expense of monitoring the descent profile and observing ground obstacles.
- The pilot initiated the final turn at an insufficient altitude of 200 feet.