What happened
On June 17, 2012, at 15:57 local time, a student pilot was conducting solo flight instruction at the Bourail Poe aerodrome (NCA). The aircraft, a Storch HS (identified as 988-IF), departed from runway 09. After completing three touch-and-go maneuvers on runway 09, the instructor instructed the pilot via radio to perform a touch-and-go using runway 27 to practice tailwind operations.
During the initial approach to runway 27, the pilot aborted the landing by applying full power, believing the descent path was incorrect. On the second approach, the pilot successfully landed on runway 27. However, immediately after the wheels touched the runway, the pilot applied power to initiate a takeoff. During this acceleration, the aircraft drifted to the left. Despite attempts to use the rudder pedals to correct the deviation and reducing engine power, the pilot could not maintain the centerline. The aircraft exited the left side of the runway at high speed. The pilot applied the brakes, but the aircraft eventually overturned and came to rest in the grass. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's maneuvers and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Wind conditions were estimated at approximately 5 knots from the southeast. The investigation noted that the pilot had a total of 2t22 flight hours, with only two hours of solo experience. While the pilot had performed several tailwind landings previously with an instructor, they expressed discomfort with the maneuver and noted that the specific tailwind touch-and-go exercise had caused destabilization.
Findings
- The pilot was performing a tailwind touch-and-go, a maneuver that is not part of standard PPL training, which emphasizes selecting runways for headwind landings.
- The pilot lacked sufficient experience in managing the aircraft's trajectory during high-power applications in tailwind conditions.
- The primary cause of the accident was the inappropriate management of the aircraft's trajectory during the application of power for the touch-and-go maneuver.