What happened
On March 28, 2025, a student pilot was returning to Lognes-Émerainville aerodrome following his first solo cross-country flight to Nangis-les-Loges. While on final approach for runway 26 in a Robin DR400-100, registered F-GGJG, the pilot encountered crosswind conditions. During the flare, the aircraft's nose drifted toward the right, aligning with the wind direction.
Sensing the aircraft was departing the runway surface, the pilot initiated a balked landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft crossed the grass area between the runway and taxiway N, passing over refueling stations and the apron at a height of less to than 20 feet. The pilot focused on reconfiguring the aircraft for takeoff—specifically addressing the carburetor heat and flap settings—rather than immediate directional correction. After establishing a left-hand turn to rejoin the runway axis, the pilot successfully completed a subsequent landing on runway 26 without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation examined flight data from the student pilot's telephone, radio communications, and air traffic controller statements. Investigators reviewed the pilot's training history, noting he had logged 57 flight hours, with only 5.5 hours of solo instruction. The investigation also looked into the aircraft's mechanical state, specifically the brake control configuration, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the event.
Findings
- The pilot lost lateral control of the flight path during landing due to moderate variable crosswinds.
- The decision to execute a balked landing was driven by the immediate threat of a runway excursion.
- The pilot prioritized aircraft reconfiguration over path control, which led to the low-altitude flight over the taxiways and apron.
- The aircraft was flying at a low airspeed, nearing the margin of a stall during the maneuver.
- There was no ground traffic present on the taxiways or apron at the time of the incident, which mitigated the risk of a collision.