What happened
On August 14, 2014, a Robin DR 400-180 DR 400-180, registered F-GRIP, was conducting a local flight from the Lille Marcq-en-Barœul aerodrome with a pilot and three passengers, including two children. During the flight, the pilot noted degrading radio communications and decided to terminate the flight early.
While attempting to land on runway 26, the aircraft bounced upon contact with the grass runway. In response to the bounce, the pilot applied forward pressure on the control column, causing the aircraft to strike the ground on its nose gear, which subsequently collapsed and deformed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's approach parameters and cockpit environment. The pilot, who had 128 total flight hours, admitted to maintaining an approach speed of 150 km/h during the final approach, significantly exceeding the 125 km/h speed recommended in the flight manual. This higher speed had become a habit due to the pilot's participation in the Breitling Challenge, a competition requiring rapid takeoffs and landings.
Additionally, the investigation examined the cockpit atmosphere, noting that the two children in the rear seats were highly active and vocal during the final approach, which contributed to pilot distraction. Meteorological conditions at the time showed light winds and recent rain, though the pilot reported a headwind of approximately 10 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive approach speed, which increased the kinetic energy the pilot had to manage during the flare, thereby facilitating the bounce.
- The pilot's experience in competitive flying led to an overconfidence in managing much higher approach speeds than recommended.
- The movement and noise from the passengers caused a distraction during the critical landing phase.
- The pilot's corrective action of pushing the nose down following the bounce directly led to the structural deformation of the nose gear.