What happened
On July 21, 2013, a Robin DR400-140B, registration F-GBVT, was performing a local flight for personal use when it experienced an incident during landing at Andernos-les-bains aerodrome. The pilot was conducting the final approach on the centerline at 65 knots with landing flaps configured, under light south-westerly winds.
During the flare, the aircraft touched the unpaved runway softly but unexpectedly lifted off again. The pilot maintained back pressure on the control column, leading to a second bounce. In response to the second bounce, the pilot briefly applied full power before reducing it to idle. A third bounce occurred, after which the pilot released the control column. This sequence resulted in a hard landing on the nose gear, causing damage to the nose gear leg.
The investigation
Investigators examined the pilot's recent flight history and training records. The pilot, who has held a private pilot license since 2002, had a total of 187 flight hours, with 40 hours specifically on the DR400 type. Notably, the pilot had not flown this specific aircraft model since May 1, 2012. The most recent flight prior to the accident was a flight in a different aircraft type (an MCR 4S) with an instructor.
While the pilot had met the regulatory requirements for carrying passengers—which necessitate three take-offs and landings in a single-engine piston aircraft within the previous three months—the club's internal regulations required a training flight with an instructor if no training had occurred within three months. The pilot had complied with this internal rule, but the investigation focused on the pilot's proficiency in the specific aircraft type during the landing sequence.
Findings
- The accident was caused by inappropriate piloting actions following an initial bounce during the landing phase.
- The pilot's lack of recent experience specifically on the DR400 model likely contributed to the improper recovery technique.
- Current regulations and club rules do not mandate specific type-currency beyond general single-engine piston (SEP) requirements, leaving the responsibility to the pilot to assess their own competency for a specific flight.