Flight and Approach
The pilot, accompanied by two passengers, departed from runway 20 at Abbeville. After approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes of flight, the aircraft returned to the departure aerodrome. The pilot joined the right base leg for runway 20 directly. On final approach, the pilot estimated a crosswind from the right at about 10 knots. Full flaps were selected, and the aircraft was flown at approximately 75 knots, which was 15 knots above the stall speed for that configuration. As the aircraft reached a few meters above the runway threshold, the indicated airspeed decreased to about 65 knots. The pilot felt the aircraft sink.
Impact and Aftermath
The landing gear contacted the ground before the runway threshold. The aircraft then rolled on the runway, veered to the left, departed the runway, and executed a ground loop. The nose gear collapsed, and the left main gear penetrated the wing. The propeller struck the ground before the threshold. Visual examination showed that the aircraft rolled normally for about 10 meters on the paved surface before the runway and then left the runway approximately 60 meters from the threshold. The paved area before the threshold was not designed for taxiing.
Pilot Experience
The pilot held approximately 510 total flight hours, including 45 hours on the DR 400-160 and 7 hours in the preceding week.
Weather Conditions
Observations at the aerodrome at 19:30 indicated wind from 260° at 13 knots, with gusts from 290° at 19 knots. The maximum demonstrated crosswind for landing specified in the aircraft flight manual was 22 knots. The flight manual did not prescribe a specific configuration for crosswind landings, but recent manuals recommend one notch of flaps and an approach speed of 130 km/h (70 knots) plus half the gust factor.
Pilot Actions
The pilot stated that he did not have time to initiate a go-around when he felt the aircraft sink. He did not hear the stall warning and had no clear recollection of actions taken after ground contact.
Conclusion
The loss of control was probably due to insufficient monitoring of flight parameters on final approach.