2000 Saint-Mard de Réno Robin DR 400-180 accident (F-BXJV)

Overview and flight details On 18 May 2000, a Robin DR 400-180 registered F-BXJV was destroyed in a crash at Saint-Mard de Réno (61), France, at an altitude of 180 m. The aircraft was operated by a club and was on a professional business trip. The pilot, aged 45, was accompanied by two passengers. The pilot held a licence from 1994 and had 139 flight hours, including 106 hours on type and 1 hour 30 minutes in the preceding three months. ## Circumstances The pilot departed Saint-Cyr (78) at approximately 05:00 UTC for Pontivy (56), where business appointments were scheduled. About an hour later, witnesses reported hearing the aircraft flying at low altitude near Saint-Mard de Réno, following a north-west/south-east axis. The aircraft crashed into a field after the left wing separated from the fuselage in flight. A witness stated that the sky was overcast, clouds were very low, and it was raining when the aircraft was seen diving toward the ground. ## Wreckage and site examination The wreckage was located 8 km on a bearing of 110° from Mortagne au Perche aerodrome, near the Réno forest in hilly terrain at 180 m altitude. The left wing was found on a grassy plot about 150 m upstream of the main wreckage, which lay on a ploughed, slightly sloping plot and was oriented along a north-west/south-east axis. No fire traces were visible. The left wing showed no impact or sliding marks on the grass or nearby trees, and no shock damage. Visual examination of the spar indicated it had failed in upward bending under a positive load factor, causing the wing to separate. Site and wreckage observations indicated the wing separated while the aircraft was in flight. The fuselage, right wing, and landing gear were found in a concentrated area about 7 m in diameter, oriented along magnetic heading 060°. The engine was found 8 m from the rest of the airframe, with the engine, propeller, firewall, and instrument panel embedded in a crater 3 m in diameter and 1 m deep. The crater slopes indicated the aircraft impacted on a descending trajectory of about 50°. The propeller showed the engine was producing power at impact. ## Meteorological and operational information On the day of the accident, a cold front was moving from west to east. At 05:00 UTC, it was west of the Normandy hills, with cloud masses and light precipitation ahead of it. Low-level winds were from the south-west. Ceilings at Evreux and Chartres did not exceed 400 m, and horizontal visibility was 8 km at Evreux and 6 km at Alençon. South-westerly winds favoured the blocking of the cloud mass over the Perche hills. The cloud base observed at Alençon, about 20 nautical miles from the accident site, was 700 m. The cloud base over the Perche hills was therefore lower, with uplift of air on the windward side of the terrain causing cooling, condensation, and possible precipitation, reducing cloud base height and horizontal visibility. Witnesses near the site reported that hilltops were obscured and there were scattered light rains. At 06:00 UTC, the automatic weather station at Mortagne au Perche, 5 nautical miles west of the site, reported wind 240°/8 kt, temperature 8.5 °C, and humidity 98%. The station at L’Aigle, 16 nautical miles north, reported wind 230°/12 kt with gusts to 17 kt, light rain during the preceding 30 minutes, temperature 9 °C, and humidity 96%. Alençon, 22 nautical miles west, reported 4/8 cumulus at 2,300 ft and 7/8 stratocumulus at 4,600 ft, visibility 6 km, estimated wind 260°/10 kt, temperature 10 °C, and humidity 95%. ## Aircraft and maintenance The aircraft had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness until 8 June 2002. A DGAC airworthiness directive, 1999-460A R1, required spar inspections for certain DR-400 aircraft based on year of construction and serial number. Built in 1975, F-BXJV was not covered by that directive. During a scheduled maintenance visit, the aircraft underwent a repair to the left-wing step. After the work, the return-to-service approval was signed, and the aircraft flew about 207 hours before the accident. ## Engine examination The engine was a Lycoming O-360-A3A, serial number L-2996336A. Examination at the Saclay Propulsion Test Centre showed that it was functioning at the time of the accident.