What happened
On July 24, 2012, a Jodel D140 Mousquetaire, registered F-PMGV, was conducting a mountain flight training session at the Megève Altiport. The flight crew, consisting of an instructor and a student pilot, had previously completed two successful landings at the Méribel Altiport before returning to Megève.
After a successful first landing at Megève using the uphill runway orientation (QFU 154), the crew aligned the aircraft with the downhill runway (QFU 334) to perform a second circuit. During the landing roll of this second approach, the aircraft began to veer to the left at low speed. The instructor attempted to correct the deviation using rudder inputs and the right brake, but was unable to maintain the centerline. The aircraft subsequently exited the side of the paved runway and came to rest against an embankment, causing the main landing gear to collapse.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's mechanical condition and the pilot's maneuvers. Technical inspections of the braking system conducted by the club's maintenance personnel revealed no mechanical defects that could have contributed to the loss of directional control.
Weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported as CAVOK with light winds. While the regional forecast indicated north-westerly winds of 5 knots with gusts up to 15 knots, the instructor noted that the wind was calm during the landing phase. The investigation also reviewed the flight experience of the crew, noting the instructor had 4,350 total flight hours, while the student held a PPL with 157 total hours.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the late corrective action by the instructor during the landing roll.
- The instructor's confidence, bolstered by the successful completion of previous landings, likely contributed to the delayed response to the aircraft's deviation.