What happened
On April 5, 2011, an ICP Savannah ultralight aircraft, registration 27-PB, was performing solo circuit training at the Bernay Saint-Martin airfield. The student pilot had previously completed a circuit with an instructor earlier that morning. During the afternoon session, the student took off alone on runway 28, an unpaved strip, with the instructor monitoring the frequency.
After the first circuit, the student pilot expressed difficulty with the landing and initially considered a go-around. Ultimately, the pilot decided to continue the flight. During the second circuit, the aircraft bounced during the landing phase. Following this bounce, the aircraft struck the unpaved runway heavily on its nose gear. The impact caused the nose gear to fail, resulting in the aircraft flipping onto its back. The student pilot sustained minor injuries, while the aircraft was heavily damaged.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the student pilot's actions following the bounce and their flight experience. At the time of the accident, the pilot had approximately 40 total flight hours, with about 30 hours on this specific type and only 1 hour and 35 minutes of solo flight experience. The pilot noted difficulties in judging the correct height for the flare and admitted to feeling intimidated by the landing phase. The pilot also stated they had hesitated to execute a go-around after the initial bounce, choosing instead to attempt the landing to avoid another circuit.
An instructor, who was observing the landing from the middle of the runway, noted that the student's progress was standard and that the difficulties encountered during the flare were common among trainees. Meteorological data indicated a light wind of 6 knots originating from 260 degrees, varying between 200 and 290 degrees.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the student pilot's inability to manage the flare and the subsequent inappropriate control inputs following the bounce.
- The pilot's decision to attempt a landing rather than performing a go-around after the bounce contributed to the severity of the impact.