What happened
On July 16, 2001, at approximately 12:00 local time, a Jodel D 119, registration F-PKMD, was taxiing at Poitiers aerodrome for a local flight. The pilot had positioned the aircraft facing the wind at a secondary holding point before intending to enter the single taxiway leading to the runway.
During this maneuver, a Transall aircraft landed and exited the runway via the taxiway. The Transall crew was instructed by air traffic control to taxi toward the base of the control tower. As the Transall proceeded, the crew observed a ground marshal signaling a different parking location and subsequently halted their movement to confirm the new instructions with the controller.
While the Transall was taxiing, the controller authorized the F-PKMD to line up on the runway, noting to the Transall pilot that a light aircraft would be passing behind them. As the pilot of the Jodel D 119 began taxiing toward the runway, the aircraft was positioned at a three-quarter angle relative to the direction of the jet blast from the Transall. The aircraft was approximately 40 meters from the tail of the larger aircraft. The pilot noticed the tail of the Jodel lifting and attempted to counteract the movement by pulling the control column back toward the direction of the Transall and cutting the magnetos; however, the propeller struck the ground, resulting in damaged propeller components.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the interaction between the light aircraft and the heavy aircraft during the taxi sequence. Investigators examined the positioning of the F-PKMD relative to the Transall's path and the aerodynamic effects of the large aircraft's engines. The investigation established the proximity of the two aircraft and the specific orientation of the Jodel during the passage of the Transall's jet blast.