What happened
On the evening of April 20, 2003, a SOCATA MS 880 B Rallye, registration F-BUNM, was performing a series of solo landing circuits at Chelles aerodrome. The student pilot, who had recently begun solo flight operations, was conducting a series of three landings on an unpaved runway that was slightly damp following recent rain.
Following an initial successful landing, the student performed a second approach. The instructor, observing from the ground, noted that while the approach appeared correct, the aircraft's speed seemed high and the deceleration phase following the flare was excessively long. The instructor radioed instructions to the student to execute a go-around and to aim for the first third of the runway on the subsequent attempt, while also correcting the approach speed.
During the third and final landing attempt, the instructor observed that while the glide slope was appropriate, the touchdown point appeared too far down the runway. The instructor attempted to command a go-around via radio, but the communication equipment failed to function. The student pilot, believing they should proceed with the landing due to the lack of audible instructions, touched down approximately 150 meters before the end of the runway. Unable to stop the aircraft, the plane continued along the runway axis at a reduced speed until it struck a perimeter fence. The incident resulted in no fatalities, but caused damage to the nose gear, propeller, and the fence.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the communication failure between the instructor and the student, as well as the configuration of the aircraft during the final approach. It was established that the student pilot was flying with the flaps set to 10 degrees and the leading-edge slats in the automatic deployment position. The student reported an approach speed slightly exceeding 120 km/h.
The instructor noted that while they typically teach students to use 30-degree flaps for landing, they transition students to 10-degree flaps quickly to improve controllability during the flare. However, the flight manual specifies that flaps should be extended on demand and that the approach speed should be 110 km/h. The investigation also considered the landing distance requirements, noting that at a weight of 770 kg with 30-degree flaps and a speed of 100 km/h, the required distance is 260 meters.