What happened
On November 15, 1997, a Robin DR 400-120, registered F-GDEZ, was performing a solo flight at the Orléans Saint-Denis-de-l’Hôtel aerodrome. The pilot, a trainee with 12.5 hours of dual instruction, was completing his very first solo flight.
After landing on runway 23, the aircraft traveled approximately 150 meters along the paved surface. During the rollout, the pilot attempted to use the brake handle, but soon realized the aircraft had drifted off the runway centerline. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied rudder input; however, finding this insufficient, the pilot attempted to adjust the engine power. During this maneuver, the pilot inadvertently applied full throttle. This caused the aircraft to veer to the left, cross the grass runway area, and come to a stop against an embankment while still at high power.
The investigation
The investigation was based on information provided by the trainee pilot and his instructor. Prior to the solo flight, the instructor and the trainee had completed a circuit of the aerodrome together. During the excursion, the instructor remained in radio contact with the pilot and provided emergency instructions, directing the pilot to immediately shut off the magnetos, the battery, and the fuel supply.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was inappropriate control corrections by the pilot.
- The pilot's attempt to correct a lateral deviation through power adjustments resulted in an unintended full-throttle application, leading to the loss of directional control on the runway.