What happened
On Thursday, September 11, 1997, at 16:30, a Mudry Cap 10 B aircraft, registered F-GDTZ, was taxiing at Rennes Aerodrome. The pilot had received authorization to taxi from the aero club parking area toward holding point A of runway 28. During the maneuver, the aircraft passed behind a SAAB 2000 that was starting its engines. The jet blast from the SAAB 2000's engines caused the light aircraft to pivot to the right, resulting in a ground excursion (pylône) that caused damage to the propeller.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the taxiing phase and the interaction between the two aircraft. Investigators established that the aircraft was operating in a club environment and was subject to the aerodynamic effects of the larger aircraft's engine start-up. The weather conditions at the time were favorable, with visibility exceeding 10 km, a temperature of 24 °C, and winds from 230° at 10 knots with gusts up to 15 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was insufficient monitoring of the surrounding environment by the pilot during the taxi maneuver.
- The aerodynamic force generated by the engine exhaust of the SAAB 2000 was sufficient to deviate the Mudry Cap 10 B from its intended path.