What happened
On July 8, 2007, an Aero AT 3, registration F-GURE, was performing a ferry flight from Charleville-Mézières to Lognes. Upon arrival at Lognes, the pilot was cleared for a direct approach to runway 26, which was wet. During the approach, the pilot focused on maintaining a flight path above the standard glide slope to ensure clearance of obstacles located before the runway threshold. Due to a crosswind, only one notch of flaps was deployed, and the aircraft touched down more than 200 meters beyond the threshold with an excess speed of approximately ten knots.
As the aircraft rolled, the pilot noted that the plane was not decelerating as expected. Fearing that asymmetric braking might cause a veer, the pilot moderated the use of the brakes. Consequently, the aircraft exited the runway longitudinally at the far end, approximately twenty meters beyond the pavement. The pilot was able to turn the aircraft around and return to the parking area without further incident. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the meteorological conditions and the pilot's decision-making process. At the time of the landing, visibility was 3 km with rain, and low clouds (stratus at 700 feet) were present. The investigation established that while the pilot had reviewed weather forecasts at departure, the weather had significantly degraded during the final third of the flight. The controller on duty observed the aircraft touching down near the midpoint of the runway and noted the rapid deterioration of weather conditions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the failure to adapt the flight to the deteriorating weather conditions.
- The pilot's decision to continue the flight was influenced by a strong desire to reach the destination, which was reinforced by familiarity with the Lognes environment and the use of GPS navigation.
- The touchdown occurred well beyond the threshold due to high approach speed and insufficient flap deployment.
- The pilot's cautious braking technique, intended to prevent a veer, contributed to the inability to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway length.