What happened
On the morning of November 24, 2001, a Schweizer Grumman G 164, registered F-OHRR, was returning to a private airfield in Mana, French Guiana, following a rice seeding mission. While positioned on the base leg of the approach, the pilot performed a left-hand barrel roll at a very low altitude. During the execution of this maneuver, the aircraft's main landing gear and the lower right wing struck the ground at a 30-degree angle. The nose of the aircraft dug into the soft earth before the plane bounced and ultimately came to rest upside down in a rice field.
The investigation
The investigation established that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were favorable, with calm winds, visibility exceeding 10 km, and few clouds at 2,000 feet. The pilot, who held a Commercial Pilot License and had 2,500 total flight hours, reported that there were no mechanical or technical failures contributing to the crash. It was noted that the pilot had performed this specific maneuver twice earlier that same day during previous mission returns. However, the pilot lacked formal aerobatic training, and the aircraft was not certified or authorized for aerobatic flight.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained total destruction.
- The pilot sustained injuries during the impact.
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive risk-taking due to overconfidence.
- The pilot attempted an unauthorized maneuver at an altitude insufficient to safely recover from the roll.