What happened
On May 26, 2011, a SOCATA MS893 Rallye, registered F-BRRK, was engaged in a series of landings at various unpaved altisurfaces. After departing from Gap Tallard, the pilot and a passenger completed landings at La Motte-Chalancon and Faucon before proceeding to the altisurface at Lus-La-Croix-Haute.
Upon arriving at the final destination, the pilot performed a reconnaissance of the site and configured the aircraft for an approach to runway 36. During the flare maneuver on the first section of the unpaved runway, the nose gear struck the ground. This impact caused the nose gear to break, which subsequently led to the failure of the propeller.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the runway conditions and the aircraft's flight path during the landing phase. The investigators established that runway 36 featured an upward slope of 20% within the first 100 meters. At the time of the accident, the wind was recorded as being from the south at approximately 10 knots. The pilot, who held a mountain rating and had significant experience on this type of aircraft, was aware of the wind direction during the landing.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the accident was caused by the pilot's failure to sufficiently account for the runway's upward slope and the tailwind component. Because the flare was performed too late, the pilot was unable to manage the aerodynamic and physical constraints imposed by the rising terrain and the wind conditions, leading to the nose gear impact.