What happened
On February 24, 2003, at 15:03, a Piper PA 28 RT, registration D-EHFZ, was taxiing at Toulouse Blagnac Airport following a flight from Grenoble Saint-Geoir. After vacating the runway via taxiway M 8, the pilot stopped at the threshold of runway 14 L, waiting to cross. At that time, an Airbus A3 20 was lining up on the same runway for departure.
Air traffic control instructed the pilot of D-EHFZ to cross runway 14 L behind the departing Airbus. The pilot acknowledged the instruction and proceeded onto the runway. As the Airbus A320 applied takeoff power, the resulting jet blast caused the Piper PA 28 RT to lift approximately one meter off the ground and pivot 90 degrees to the left. The aircraft subsequently struck the runway on its nose gear, causing the gear to collapse. The propeller struck the ground and broke, and the aircraft was pushed off the paved surface, coming to rest in the grass approximately ten meters from the runway threshold.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of taxiing and the radio communications between the tower and the aircraft. Investigators reviewed the clearance provided by the tower, which instructed the pilot to cross "behind the 320." It was noted that such a clearance implies a responsibility for the pilot to maintain appropriate separation.
Technical analysis of the jet blast effects was also conducted. It was established that for an Airbus A320 at takeoff power, exhaust velocities remain at or above 105 km/h within a 30-degree cone extending approximately 220 meters from the engine. The investigation also examined the pilot's perception of the available time to complete the crossing maneuver before the heavy aircraft's departure.