What happened
On May 12, 2012, a Centrair 101 "Pégase", registration F-CHGC, departed from the Mantes Chérence airfield via winch launch for a local flight. After initially reaching an altitude of 1,200 m, the pilot encountered deteriorating aerological conditions that prevented a return to the home airfield.
As the aircraft descended to 300 m, the pilot notified the club via radio of his intention to land in a nearby field. Although a brief thermal briefly lifted the aircraft back to 350 m, the pilot chose to continue flying. Eventually, at an altitude of 250 m, the decision was made to land into the wind in a field approximately 300 m in length. During the final approach, the pilot realized the aircraft was too high and noted that the chosen field was smaller than previously estimated and featured a downward slope. While attempting to land diagonally across the field, the pilot executed a right turn during the flare, causing the right wing to strike the ground and resulting in a ground loop. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making process and the approach characteristics. The pilot had a total of 140 flight hours, with 22 hours on this specific type. The investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the initial loss of lift to the final landing attempt, specifically looking at the assessment of the landing site and the flight maneuvers during the flare.
Findings
- The primary cause of the wing strike was the execution of a turn during the flare.
- The pilot's persistence in continuing the flight despite deteriorating conditions contributed to the accident.
- A late decision to perform a field landing was a contributing factor.
- An erroneous assessment of the landing field's characteristics, including its size and slope, contributed to the outcome.