Flight History
On 3 April 2002, a Robin DR-400/120, registration F-GLKF and manufactured in 1992, was part of a group of six aircraft from the Union Aerienne Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing Flying Club. The group had departed from Lille on 30 March, stopping at Clermont-Ferrand, Le Lignon, Ampuriabrava, and Castellón. On the day of the event, the six aircraft took off from Castellón Aerodrome at 12:30 local time, bound for Almería Airport under VFR flight plans. The estimated flight time was two hours and thirty minutes. The aircraft involved had refueled to full capacity (110 liters, providing four hours of autonomy). The pilots obtained METAR and TAFOR weather information for Almería before departure.
Diversion and Weather Conditions
As the first three aircraft reached entry point E of the Almería Airport CTR, they contacted the tower and were informed that runway 26 was in use with wind from 350° at 25–30 knots, gusting to 30–35 knots—a strong crosswind. These three aircraft landed successfully. The head pilot of the club then radioed the remaining three aircraft, recommending diversion to Málaga or Granada airports. The three pilots chose Granada. The pilot of F-GLKF later stated he selected Granada because it was closer and because he believed its runway orientation was similar to Almería's (08-26); however, Málaga's runway (14-32) was not parallel.
The pilot attempted to contact Granada Tower but failed. He then tried the Málaga ATIS for Granada weather, also without success, possibly due to terrain and altitude. While flying toward Granada, the pilot encountered strong turbulence and a thick cloud layer blocking the valley, making VFR flight impossible. He made several attempts to find a clear path but turned back due to low fuel.
Forced Landing
At 16:25 local time, three hours and fifty-five minutes after takeoff, the pilot located a stretch of road (A-347) oriented at 300°–310°. After a low pass to check for traffic, he landed. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a tree, causing minor damage to the aircraft. None of the three occupants (pilot and two passengers) were injured.
Analysis and Conclusions
The aircraft's average fuel consumption was approximately 25 liters per hour. After the flight, about 10 liters remained in the tanks, indicating consumption of about 98 liters and confirming the tanks were full at departure. The wind conditions at Almería differed from the TAFOR forecast, with a crosswind that made landing unfeasible. The pilot's choice of Granada was based on incomplete information. When weather prevented continuing to Granada, the pilot chose to land before fuel exhaustion, a reasonable decision, though the landing site had nearby obstacles. The investigation concluded that the incident was almost certainly caused by an unsuitable flight plan, especially regarding the choice of alternative airports.