What happened
On Saturday, August 11, at 11:15, a Piper PA 28-181 Archer 2, registration F-GETK, was conducting a flight from Graulhet to the Tarbes Laloubère airfield. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers, including one adult and two children.
Upon arriving at the airfield, the pilot performed a reconnaissance flight. The aircraft then entered a landing pattern on runway 26, which was facing a tailwind. During the flare, the pilot noted that the ground speed felt higher than usual and that the aircraft touched down beyond the intended point. A passenger observed the aircraft lifting slightly after touchdown.
As the aircraft reached the end of the unpaved runway, the pilot attempted to steer the aircraft toward the glider runway to the left. However, the pilot was unable to decelerate sufficiently before the end of the runway, and the aircraft exited the runway into a ditch. The incident resulted in damage to the right aileron, right flap, and elevator.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The pilot had been flying with a PPL(A) since 1997, with 190 total flight hours, 100 of which were on this type. This was the pilot's first time using the Tarbes Laloubère airfield.
Investigators examined the wind conditions and the pilot's observations. While the pilot noted that a windsock observation during reconnaissance did not reveal significant wind, the landing was performed with a tailwind component. The investigation also looked into the pilot's decision regarding a go-around, as the pilot had considered a missed approach at the moment of touchdown but ultimately decided against it, believing a takeoff could not be performed safely.