What happened
On March 21, 2009, a Robin DR 400-160, registration F-GOZZ, was conducting a cross-country training flight from Montpellier to Béziers. The flight crew included an instructor, a student pilot, and one passenger. Upon approaching Béziers, the student pilot observed the windsock and elected to land on runway 28. The instructor advised the student to increase the approach speed by 10 km/h.
During the final approach, the student pilot experienced difficulty maintaining the aircraft on the runway centerline. The student requested that the instructor take control of the aircraft, but the instructor did not hear the request. As the wheels touched the runway, the aircraft experienced a sudden leftward roll. The instructor immediately applied full power and attempted to correct the roll by moving the control column to the right, but encountered resistance. The aircraft eventually came to a stop further down the runway. The incident resulted in damage to the left aileron, the left flap, and the right wingtip.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the communication between the instructor and the student, as well as the student's proficiency in handling crosswind conditions. It was established that the student pilot was in the process of obtaining a private pilot license and had approximately 30 hours of total flight time. This was the student's first flight with this particular instructor and at this flying club.
Investigators found that while the pre-flight briefing had covered navigation, the specific techniques for landing in a crosswind had not been addressed. Furthermore, the instructor noted that the student appeared to be experiencing increased workload, leading the instructor to take over radio communications to assist. The investigation also examined the student's verbal communication during the final approach, noting that the student's request for control was not audible to the instructor.