What happened
On March 20, 1999, at 18:15, a Sheibe SF25 C motor glider, registered F-CAQX, was performing a training flight at the Revel aerodrome in France. The pilot, who was undergoing recent training on this specific aircraft type, was executing a landing after a flight consisting of several circuit patterns.
As the aircraft reached the runway threshold, the pilot deployed the air brakes. During the flare, the aircraft unexpectedly began to climb. Believing the aircraft was too high to land safely, the pilot attempted a go-around by applying full power. During this maneuver, the aircraft entered a steep dive. Despite the pilot's attempt to pull back on the control column, the aircraft struck the runway with significant force and came to a halt approximately 30 meters further down the strip.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the critical moments of the go-around. The pilot noted that while moving his left hand to maintain control of the stick, his left arm inadvertently moved the elevator trim control. On this specific aircraft model, the air brake control is located on the left side, while the throttle is on the right. During the final approach, the pilot was managing the air brakes with his left hand and the stick with his right.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, landing gear, engine, and fuselage.
- The primary cause of the accident was the unintentional movement of the elevator trim to the full nose-down position during the transition to power.
- The pilot's lack of experience on this specific aircraft type contributed to the error during the high-workload phase of the landing.