What happened
On Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 11:30 AM, a SOCATA MS 893 A Rallye Commodore, registration F-BPYU, was involved in a ground collision at Issoire Aerodrome. The flight was intended to be a familiarization and training session for a pilot on a recently acquired aircraft used for glider towing.
The aircraft was parked in a position in front of the aero club buildings, a location chosen to facilitate the movement of other aircraft. During the start-up sequence, the pilot, seated in the left position, applied power to begin taxiing. To do so, the pilot leaned forward to release two parking brakes that had been placed on the rudder pedals. Because the nose wheel was turned to the left, the aircraft immediately veered in that direction.
As the aircraft began to deviate from its intended path, the pilot attempted to stop the engine. However, the pilot only managed to grasp and engage the left-side parking brake handle, leaving the right brake engaged. Because the instructor, seated in the right position, has no access to the braking controls, they were unable to intervene. The aircraft continued its rotation until the left aileron struck a fence post near the signal area, and the right wing's leading-edge slat was damaged by a windsock guy wire.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cockpit procedures and the positioning of the aircraft. Investigators established that the aircraft had been positioned in an unsuitable area of the apron to clear space for other operations. Furthermore, the investigation found that no pre-start briefing had been conducted between the instructor and the pilot. The crew's experience levels were noted, specifically that while the instructor was an experienced flight instructor, neither crew member had previous experience on this specific aircraft type.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's insufficient knowledge of the aircraft's specific characteristics, specifically regarding the braking system.
- The pilot incorrectly believed it was unnecessary to simultaneously actuate the rudder pedal brakes and the parking brake handles to immobilize the aircraft.
- The decision to start the engine and begin taxiing from an unsuitable parking position contributed to the incident.
- The lack of a pre-flight briefing meant that the specific handling requirements for the new aircraft were not addressed before movement began.