What happened
On May 9, 2004, at 16:15, a Robin DR 400-140 B, registration F-GMXS, was performing a local flight at Muret aerodrome. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers. During the approach to runway 12, the pilot noted that the aircraft was above the glide slope. The aircraft touched down with an indicated airspeed of approximately 65 knots. Following the main gear touchdown, the aircraft drifted to the left and exited the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's actions and the aircraft's mechanical state during the landing phase. The pilot stated that he attempted to maintain a high nose attitude for as long as possible during the landing. Upon noticing the leftward drift, the pilot reacted by pulling back on the control column. The pilot also noted that the landing speed appeared high. It was observed that the pilot did not utilize the brakes to attempt to correct the aircraft's trajectory and return to the runway centerline.
Technical analysis revealed that the nose gear strut likely failed to compress upon touchdown, leaving the nose wheel locked in the flight position. This mechanical state, combined with the pilot's input on the control column, exacerbated the excursion. Furthermore, the high speed of the aircraft at touchdown rendered the rudder less effective for steering the aircraft back toward the runway axis.