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Safety together

Light aeroplanes - 2021

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In 2021, the BEA published 82 reports concerning light aeroplane accidents, 75 of which concerned aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of less than 2.25 t. Forty-two of these 82 published reports were essentially, or solely, based on the pilot’s statement. Twenty-one people were fatally injured as a result of these 82 events. Nine people were seriously injured and 17 suffered more minor injuries. Eight topics are particularly dominant in these reports.

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1. Services for third parties

Some flights, such as introductory flights and flights for those applying for the French Aeronautical Initiation Certificate (BIA), differ from the activity of flying club pilots, which is generally focused on training and pleasure flights for the pilot or their relatives and friends. These aforementioned flights are services for passengers who are not members of the club, and for which the club is remunerated (case of introductory flights) or financed by subsidies or by some educational establishments (case of BIA flights). The activity is similar to passenger commercial air transport, with potentially, the pilot adopting a specific attitude with respect to passenger expectations, during the flight and outside of it. The activity is thus characterised by the exposure of third parties to the risks inherent in non-commercial light aviation and by the pilot’s increased workload.

The accident to F-GFXE on 28 July 2018 at Charleville-Mézières (BEA report (French version) published in December 2020) had already led the BEA to issue a safety recommendation to the DGAC to set up information and safety promotion actions addressed to recreational aviation structures concerning the organization of introductory flights, in order to help these structures better manage the risks linked to this activity.

The accident to F-GSEV on 14 March 2020 at Bordeaux Yvrac provokes further thought on this activity, in terms of the individual responsabilization of approved pilots (self-assessment of their physical health, identification of threats specific to each flight) as well as the organisation of the activity by the club (heightened monitoring of the competencies of approved pilots, increased requirement in terms of recent experience, management of the volume of activity of each pilot). In the aftermath of this accident, the French Aeronautical Federation’s (FFA) documentation on introductory flights and BIA flights was revised and new material was sent to clubs.

Similar occurrences for which reports were published in 2021:

Nine people were fatally injured and two people were injured in the occurrences mentioned, including the accident to F-GFXE.

2. Get-home-itis, pressure caused by the carrying of passengers and the ‘group effect’

The accident to F-OGKO on 16 February 2020 near Dominica during a club excursion, highlights the possible influence of a group on making a decision and the potential associated risks. The FFA’s Prevention and Safety commission published an Information Sheet pertaining to safety within the context of group excursions addressed to flying club managers.

The accident to F-GSBZ on 26 August 2018 at Saumur - Saint Florent also illustrates the influence of ‘group effect’ pressure and pressure caused by the carrying of passengers on an aircraft pilot.

The accident to F-HUGE on 10 December 2018 at Beaubery is linked to the decision to undertake and then to continue a flight in adverse weather conditions for a VFR flight. A study by the DSAC (pages 47 onwards) showed how the determination to arrive at destination - in the case of this accident, the professional reason for this flight - can distort the risk assessment at departure and make the decision to divert or turn around all the more difficult as the destination gets closer.

Seven people were fatally injured and two people were injured in the occurrences mentioned.

3. Incomplete flight preparation

The reports pertaining to the accident to F-OSIA on 25 January 2019 at Cayenne and the accident to F-GIKZ on 12 September 2020 at Arcachon-La Teste highlight an incomplete flight preparation, in particular during the calculation of the aeroplane’s weight and balance. This degraded the performance of the aeroplane at take-off and made it more difficult to pilot. 

Four people were fatally injured and three people were injured in the occurrences mentioned.

4. Insufficient experience

The subject of pilot experience with regards to the context of the flight was already highlighted as a factor contributing to accidents in the 2020 safety lessons concerning light aeroplanes. This topic is not specific to light aeroplanes, and is also the subject of a specific topic in the 2021 safety lessons concerning microlights.

Several reports published in 2021 mentioned this problem:

Four people were fatally injured and one person was injured in the occurrences mentioned.

5. Insufficient knowledge or experience for mountain flying 

Mountain flying has specificities due to the environment: unusual visual references due to the loss of the natural horizon, reduced operational performance, complex and changing aerological conditions and restricted space. Specific knowledge and skills are required to fly safely in this hostile and demanding environment.

The report concerning F-GSBS on 12 September 2020 at Pas de la Coche illustrates this safety topic. Several occurrences that were still undergoing investigation on 1 January 2022 also highlight this safety topic. The FFA’s Training commission and the Prevention and Safety commission published a practical guide entitled “Pilotes de plaine et vol en montagne” for flying club managers recapitulating best practices and key points for mountain flying.

Similar occurrences for which reports were published in 2021: 

It is noteworthy that the first two occurrences mentioned involved pilots who were members of flying clubs located in the vicinity of the accident site.

Three people were fatally injured and five people were injured in the occurrences mentioned.

6. Aircraft maintenance / Engine malfunctions

Several engine malfunctions were highlighted in the reports published in 2021. The following occurrences deal in particular with fatigue failures or corrosion failures of engine unit components:

Other occurrences were linked to engine malfunctions without it being possible to establish the cause of this malfunction:

Two people were fatally injured (during the in-flight loss of control of the Ryan PT-22 registered N53018) and one person was injured (during the landing run of F-GSBK on the beach) in the occurrences mentioned.  

Two of the engine malfunctions mentioned occurred when the time between two engine overhauls (TBO) had been exceeded by more than 400 hours in relation to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

7. Non-essential manoeuvres for the management of the flight

This topic was mentioned in the 2020 safety lessons concerning light aeroplanes and is the subject of a specific topic in the 2021 safety lessons concerning microlights. Two occurrences were directly linked to the taking of risks non-essential for the management of the flight in the reports published in 2021:

In 2018, the BEA contributed to the aviation safety report published by the DGAC,  with a study on risk-taking in light aviation and the execution of dangerous manoeuvres not necessary for normal flight. The study identified certain factors contributing to risk-taking, including the desire to ‘put on a show’ for people on the ground, or for the passenger, or thrill seeking.

One person was fatally injured in the occurrences mentioned.

8. Inadequate fuel management 

The BEA published a study into “Fuel starvation in general aviation” covering the years 1995-2000. This study analyses the different accidents or incidents in this period, and presents a list of best practices to prevent fuel starvation. This topic is recurrent and appears each year in several occurrences. The following reports were published in 2021:

The accidents mentioned only resulted in material damage.