What happened
On Tuesday, February 17, 1998, at 10:30 local time, a Robin DR 400-140 B, registered F-GJQV, was involved in a ground incident at Bordeaux Mérignac airport. The aircraft, operated by a local flying club, was performing a local flight with a crew of four (the pilot and three passengers).
While taxiing toward the runway, the aircraft's propeller struck a maneuvering bar that remained attached to the nose gear. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot had moved the aircraft from its hangar and had initiated the pre-flight inspection. However, the inspection process was interrupted when the passengers arrived at the aircraft. The pilot boarded the aircraft with the passengers to provide the necessary safety briefings, but failed to return to the aircraft to complete the remaining steps of the pre-flight checklist.