What happened
On June 26, 2010, an Aquila AT 01, registration F-HBRJ, was conducting a cross-country navigation flight from Toussus-le-Noble to Fontenay-Trésigny. The flight was being conducted as an instructional session with an instructor and a student pilot on board.
Upon arriving at Fontenay-Trésigny, the student pilot entered a downwind pattern for the paved runway 30. During the approach, the student deployed the first stage of flaps and subsequently the second stage. The approach was unstable; the student noted being above the glidepath with a speed of 80 knots. Although the instructor pointed out the excessive speed, the power had already been reduced to idle. While the aircraft eventually intercepted the glidepath, the speed remained high at approximately 70 knots, exceeding the recommended approach speed of 60 knots.
As the aircraft neared the flare, the instructor called for a go-around. However, the student pilot, under the impression that the instructor would take control of the maneuver, did not initiate the go-around. Upon touchdown at the midpoint of the runway, the student applied heavy braking. This caused the aircraft to exit the runway longitudinally, eventually coming to a stop 80 meters beyond the runway end after a ground loop.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight preparation and the execution of the landing maneuver. Investigators established that the flight preparation was inadequate, as neither the student nor the instructor had performed necessary performance calculations or verified the aircraft's weight and balance.
While the takeoff mass of 713 kg was within the maximum allowable limit of 750 kg, the investigation determined that under the prevailing weather conditions, the required landing distance for the Aquila AT 01 was 510 meters. The aircraft's touchdown at the middle of the 700-meter runway, combined with the high approach speed and heavy braking, left insufficient distance to stop safely.
Findings
- Inadequate flight preparation, specifically the failure to calculate landing performance and verify weight and balance.
- Failure to execute a go-around during an unstabilized approach characterized by excessive airspeed.
- Insufficient knowledge of aircraft performance regarding the required landing distance under the specific flight conditions.
- A lack of coordination between the instructor and the student regarding the decision to execute a go-around.