What happened
On May 28, 2012, a Robin DR 250-160, registered F-GHTJ, was performing a mountain flight training mission from Alpe d'Huez to the Valloire altisurface. The aircraft was occupied by an instructor, a student pilot, and one passenger.
During the landing on runway 18, the student pilot was at the controls. The instructor noted that the aircraft touched down at the beginning of the runway with a tailwind of approximately 5 to 8 knots. While the aircraft initially maintained the runway centerline, the instructor applied the centralized manual brake lever approximately 70 meters before the end of the upward slope of the runway. At this low speed, the aircraft immediately veered to the left. Despite the student pilot applying full right rudder pedal, the aircraft continued its leftward trajectory, causing the tailwheel to unlock. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway to the left and collided with an embankment, resulting in heavy damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the braking mechanics of the Robin DR 250-160 and the coordinated actions of the crew. This specific aircraft model utilizes a dual braking system: a centralized manual lever that applies symmetrical braking to both wheels, and individual wheel brakes controlled via the rudder pedals.
Investigators were unable to verify the symmetry of the centralized manual braking system due to the extent of the damage sustained during the collision. The investigation also reviewed the flight experience of the crew, noting the instructor had 10,500 total flight hours, while the student pilot had 318 total hours.