What happened
On August 6, 2004, at approximately 07:45 UTC, an APEX Aircraft CAP 10C, registration F-GYZA, crashed in the vicinity of Saint-Martin-Lys, France. The aircraft, operated by SEFA, was conducting a local flight as part of the final phase of a basic handling module for an integrated ATPL training program.
The flight departed from Carcassonne aerodrome at 07:24 UTC with an instructor and a student pilot on board. After departing, the aircraft turned south and began flying at low altitude through the narrow Pierre-Lys gorges. While navigating the valley, the aircraft struck a high-voltage power line at an altitude of approximately 100 meters. The impact caused the aircraft to crash on the northern slope of the Pic d’Embrosse, where it caught fire. The impact was so violent that the aircraft was destroyed, and the two fatalities were killed instantly.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path, the aircraft's condition, and the environmental factors at the time of the accident. Radar data from Toulouse Blagnac tracked the aircraft's trajectory, showing a climb to an altitude of approximately 4,524 feet before the aircraft began a descent near Quillan. The radar lost contact with the aircraft at 07:36 UTC, roughly 10 minutes before the impact.
Investigators analyzed the wreckage and the electrical infrastructure. The high-voltage line, consisting of three cables, was found to have been severed. Measurements by EDF confirmed the impact point was approximately 100 meters above the road at the bottom of the gorge. The investigation also looked into the lighting conditions, noting that at the time of the accident, the sun was positioned directly in front of the pilots, creating significant glare.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the impact with a high-voltage power line while flying at low altitude through a narrow valley.
- The sun's position created a significant visual impairment for the crew due to intense glare.
- The aircraft's fuel tanks were breached upon impact, fueling a large fire that destroyed the airframe.
- The extreme force of the impact and the subsequent fire made a full examination of the engine and cockpit components difficult.