What happened
On May 19, 2002, at 14:30, a private flight involving a Europa Aviation Triggear (registration G-OGel) was conducting a stopover at Fumel aerodrome (AD Fumel) for refueling and lunch during a journey from Montpellier to Rouen. The aircraft, powered by a Rotax 912 S engine, was attempting its third landing approach of the sequence.
During the third attempt, the aircraft touched down mid-runway and bounced three times. Following this, the pilot attempted to take off again. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which entered a left-hand turn. During this maneuver, the left wing struck an aero club building. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground and came to rest on a road located below the airfield level.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot had previously aborted two landing attempts during the same session. In those instances, the pilot had decided to execute a go-around on final approach because the airspeed was perceived as too high and the glide path was above the required profile. The pilot also noted the presence of thermal updrafts during the short final phase of all three attempts.
On the final attempt, the pilot decided to initiate a takeoff rather than a go-around because they believed the aircraft would not stop before the end of the runway. The investigation confirmed the aircraft was heavily damaged in the collision.