What happened
On August 15, 2011, at 17:33 local time, a Cessna 152, registered F-GGCS, was performing a local flight from the Toussus-Le-Noble aerodrome with a pilot and one passenger. During the flight, the pilot allowed the passenger, who had previous flight experience, to take control of the aircraft.
As the aircraft approached the runway for landing, the pilot turned to provide instructions to the passenger when the aircraft was approximately 200 feet above the ground. Upon refocusing on the approach, the pilot was unable to regain control in time to perform the necessary flare. Consequently, the nose gear struck the runway surface with enough force to cause a structural failure. The aircraft slid approximately 50 meters along the runway before coming to a halt. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the final approach and the pilot's management of the aircraft. The pilot stated that the aircraft had been configured for landing and appeared stable on final approach, though he noted it may have been poorly trimmed. The investigation examined the pilot's actions during the transition of control and the impact of his attention being diverted by interacting with the passenger.