2013 Robin DR400 accident at Augerolles (F-GCAM)

Flight and Accident Sequence On 25 July 2013, a 34-year-old student pilot with approximately 35 flight hours departed Brioude for Roanne in a Robin DR400 registered F-GCAM. The flight was his first solo navigation exercise. After takeoff, he contacted the Clermont-Ferrand flight information service and experienced radio communication difficulties. At 16:41, he reported an alternator failure and intended to switch off the radio. The controller suggested diverting to Ambert, but the pilot stated he had no battery and expressed concern about the distance. Radar and radio contact were subsequently lost. The pilot declared an emergency, decided to land in a field, reduced speed, extended the flaps, and landed. The aircraft bounced, rolled, struck a fence, and came to rest in the embankment of a path bordering the field. The pilot was seriously injured but was able to exit the aircraft and alert a farmer, who called emergency services. The pilot stated that he had panicked and landed in haste. He had reduced engine power to conserve electricity, forgetting that the ignition was supplied by magnetos independent of the electrical system. He arrived too high and too fast and extended all flaps to attempt the landing, without considering a go-around. ## Investigation Findings The alternator circuit breaker was found tripped in the wreckage. The aircraft's electrical system was powered by a battery and alternator, with an ammeter and a warning light indicating alternator charging status. The pilot detected the alternator failure by observing the ammeter while checking instruments during a turning point. He did not recall seeing the warning light. Shortly after reporting the problem, the electrical equipment, including the radio, became inoperative. The aircraft had completed a 100-hour scheduled maintenance visit that morning, during which the mechanic had performed a static test and verified the electrical system. The pilot who ferried the aircraft from the maintenance airfield to Brioude noted no anomalies. It was therefore probable that the circuit breaker tripped during the accident flight. The pilot had begun training at the Brioude club in September 2012 and had completed two solo circuit sessions. The instructor had checked the flight preparation before departure, and the route had previously been flown in dual command. A fictitious alternator failure had been studied a few flights earlier, but without an emergency checklist. The instructor was not certain that checking circuit breakers had been covered. The pilot's progress log showed study of alternator failure in dual command, navigation, voluntary flight interruption, and diversion decisions, with adequate behavior noted. However, there was no explicit mention of in-flight study of a total electrical failure involving both battery and alternator. The instructor, aged 22, had obtained his instructor qualification in May 2012 and worked alone at the club. He did not notice particular stress sensitivity in the student during his progression. ## Weather and Site Conditions At the accident site, the average wind was light from the northeast, the sky was partly cloudy with some cumulus at about 7,200 feet, visibility was over 10 km, and the temperature was 30°C. The accident occurred in a field at Augerolles (63). ## Safety Lessons The accident was attributed to insufficient preparation of the off-airfield landing, caused by significant stress. The investigation highlighted that alternator failure detection can be delayed due to attention on other concerns, and may only occur when the battery fails. Studying total electrical failure was considered complementary to studying alternator failure alone, as it prepares pilots for a more degraded situation. Applying emergency procedures requires sufficient analysis and decision-making capabilities, which may be only superficially acquired by a beginner. Instructor assessment of a student's ability to handle the unexpected and manage emotions is desirable during dual flights, but may be biased by the reassuring presence of the instructor. A sole instructor at a club lacks the complementary perspective of another instructor on the student's capabilities.