What happened
On February 13, 2011, a Robin DR 400 – 140 B, registration F-GJZX, was performing a local flight at Orléans Saint-Denis de l’Hôtel. The pilot, carrying two passengers, joined the traffic pattern at 2,000 feet. Observing a 10-knot crosswind from the left, the pilot elected to land on runway 23.
During the final approach, the pilot maintained a speed of 130 km/ h with two flaps increments, using a 10-degree crab angle to compensate for the wind. Despite some turbulence, the aircraft remained on the glidepath and aligned with the runway centerline during short final. Upon touchdown, the aircraft achieved a three-point landing and traveled straight for approximately two seconds before veering violently to the left.
In an attempt to maintain the runway centerline, the pilot applied right rudder but did not apply enough pressure to counteract the deviation. As the aircraft's speed remained high, the pilot ceased rudder corrections to avoid a ground loop. The aircraft exited the runway to the left, traveling onto the grass where the nose wheel sank approximately 30 centimeters into the mud. This caused the nose gear to collapse, resulting in the aircraft coming to rest in a nose-down position. All occupants were unharmed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's control inputs and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators reviewed the pilot's experience, noting they had held a PPL since 2009 with 100 total flight hours, 80 of which were in the Robin DR 400 – 140 B.
Meteorological data from 15:00 UTC confirmed a wind from 130° at 10 knots, well within the aircraft's demonstrated crosswind limit of 22 knots. The investigation also referenced a 2006 BEA study regarding the mechanics of loss of control during landing to analyze the specific flight dynamics observed during the excursion.