What happened
On November 5, 2006, a private Robin DR 400-120, registration F-GEIC, was performing a local flight departing from Saint-Quentin aerodrome. After visiting Coucy-le-Château and Laon, the pilot returned to Saint-Quentin at approximately 16:00 local time. Upon arrival, the pilot noted increasing mist and decided to land on runway 22.
During the final approach, the pilot experienced significant visual interference caused by the sun's position and the presence of mist, which created a halo effect. This glare led to a loss of visual contact with the runway. The aircraft touched down approximately 60 meters past the offset threshold and roughly 10 meters to the right of the runway centerline. The pilot noted the aircraft was tracking 15 degrees to the right of the axis but refrained from making control inputs for fear of losing control. Consequently, the left main landing gear struck a runway edge cone, causing the aircraft to exit the runway and come to rest on an adjacent taxiway. The incident resulted in damage to the left main landing gear and the left main gear housing.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making and the environmental conditions during the approach. Investigators examined the visibility conditions, noting that while the official meteorological station at Saint-Quentin did not record mist, localized visibility may have been reduced due to the low sun angle. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's use of corrective sunglasses, which had an index 3 tint, potentially making it difficult to distinguish details in darker areas.
Findings
- The pilot made the decision to land without having the necessary visual references.
- The pilot chose not to execute a go-around despite the visual difficulties caused by the sun and mist.
- The pilot relied on the runway threshold markings and club hangars as primary references but was unable to accurately estimate the aircraft's height.
- The pilot did not consider using alternative runways (14 or 32) that might have offered better visibility.