2008 Quiberon Robin DR 400-140 B accident (F-GCUS)

Overview and flight details On 24 April 2008, a Robin DR 400-140 B registered F-GCUS, operated by Association Quiberon Air Club, was destroyed in a local flight near Quiberon (56). The aircraft departed runway 29 and, shortly after rotation at low altitude, began a progressive left bank and entered a turn. It continued descending while banking until it struck a garden shed. ## Casualties and damage All three people on board—the pilot and two passengers—were killed. The aircraft was destroyed, and a garden shed was also destroyed. The wreckage was found about 200 metres from the runway centreline in a fenced garden, embedded in a wooden shed near large spruce trees. ## Aircraft and personnel The aircraft was a Robin DR 400-140 B, serial 1509, first flown in 1980, powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2A engine. The pilot was a 59-year-old male with a private pilot licence and valid SEP rating, holding a class 2 medical certificate with a vision correction restriction. He had not flown a DR 400 since 8 July 2007. The front passenger held no aviation licence, while the rear passenger held a private pilot licence with about 1,000 hours. ## Investigation findings A camcorder recovered from the wreckage recorded the flight. The takeoff roll was about 400 metres, with rotation at roughly 120 km/h. Immediately after rotation, the aircraft banked left and entered a turn; the stall warning sounded nine seconds after rotation and continued until the recording ended. Examinations of the flight controls and structure found no pre-accident damage or malfunction that could explain the accident. The pilot’s blood tests showed no substances likely to impair performance.