What happened
On Friday, January 23, 1998, at 15:50, a Socata TB 10, registered F-GGNG, was performing a solo navigation flight from Carcassonne to Montpellier Méditerranée. The flight was operated by a flight school, with a 22-year-old trainee pilot at the controls.
Upon arrival at the airport, the pilot received ATIS information indicating a wind of 050° at 10 knots and that runway 31L was in service. During the initial approach, the pilot determined the aircraft was too high and too fast, prompting a go-around. During the subsequent second approach, the pilot attempted to correct the aircraft's crab angle too late. This maneuver caused the aircraft to veer, and subsequent inappropriate use of the brakes and rudder led the aircraft to exit the paved runway to the right. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the landing phase and the environmental factors present. The investigators established that the pilot was flying solo with limited experience, having accumulated 23 total flight hours, only 9 of which were solo. The investigation also noted that the pilot reported feeling significant stress due to the requirement to fly over water during the final approach.