What happened
On June 29, 2004, a SOCATA Rallye 1erm 10 ST (registration F-GBCI) was performing a solo circuit at Saint-Gaudens aerodrome. After completing four circuits with an instructor, the student pilot attempted a touch-and-go on runway 07. During the second touch-and-go, the aircraft landed long, approximately one-third of the way down the unpaved runway.
Upon applying power to initiate the takeoff, the pilot failed to transition the flaps from the landing configuration to the takeoff configuration. As the aircraft attempted to climb, the pilot applied back pressure on the elevator, but the lack of proper lift prevented the aircraft from rotating. Realizing the remaining runway length was insufficient, the pilot attempted to abort the takeoff. The aircraft subsequently exited the runway, crossed a road, and came to a stop in a cornfield. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cockpit procedures and the supervision provided by the instructor during the solo flight. The examiner examined the student pilot's experience level and the specific configuration of the aircraft's flaps and carburetor heat at the time of the incident. The investigation also looked into the communication gap between the instructor and the student, as the instructor was not within radio range to intervene during the approach.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the failure to reposition the flaps to the takeoff configuration following the landing.
- The student pilot had relied on a previous habit where the instructor would manually adjust the flaps during the ground roll of a touch-and-go.
- The instructor had overestimated the student's ability to manage all cockpit configurations independently during solo operations.
- The instructor was not within radio contact with the student pilot during the flight, preventing any verbal instruction to abort the approach when the touchdown point was noted to be too far down the runway.
Safety action
- The instructor has implemented a new procedure where students are required to configure the flaps for takeoff themselves.
- The instructor now ensures they remain near a radio station during student solo flights to maintain communication capability.