What happened
On Saturday, May 19, 2012, during an open house event at the Vichy Charmeil aerodrome, a Reims Aviation F152, registered F-GKDE, was performing flight maneuvers. The pilot, flying solo, departed from the paved runway 01 and executed a left-hand circuit at 1,000 feet. Following this, the pilot performed a go-around on short final and proceeded to fly a low-altitude circuit, flying just a few meters above the runway surface.
Witnesses observed that during the final turn of the maneuver, the aircraft suddenly banked sharply to the left with a significant nose-down pitch. This resulted in a collision with the ground, which destroyed the aircraft. The pilot, a 67-year-old member of the flying club, was killed in the accident.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage of the F152 and found no evidence of mechanical malfunction that could have contributed to the crash. The pilot had held a private pilot license since 1978 and had accumulated 500 total flight hours, though only three of those hours were on this specific aircraft type and had been completed within the three months preceding the accident. While the pilot had been cleared to fly the aircraft by a club instructor in March, he had no prior experience flying high-wing aircraft.
On the day of the accident, the pilot had opted not to perform the low-altitude circuit during the initial phase of the flight, primarily due to environmental considerations. Weather conditions at the time were favorable, with light winds from the northeast and scattered clouds at 4,000 to 5,000 feet.