Accident to the Cessna 206 registered F-HUXY on 19/11/23 at Courbessac

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference.

Note: the following information is principally based on the pilot’s statement. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1 History of the flight

The flight was one of a series of parachute drop flights over two days, between 9 and 10 November 2023. The day of the occurrence, twelve flights to be carried out by two pilots were scheduled. The morning of the accident, the pilot had carried out three flights, the first at 08:30.

At around 13:50, the pilot took off for his second flight of the afternoon from runway 18L[1]. A few minutes later, on climbing through FL 080, the pilot observed that the CHT[2] had reached 600°F[3]. Concerned about this high value, the pilot ordered the parachute drop once FL 095 had been reached and then paid particular attention to the engine parameters.

During the descent, the cylinder temperature slightly decreased. The pilot, still fearing a failure, stayed close to the aerodrome and continued to monitor the engine parameters. He joined the aerodrome circuit on an extended LH downwind leg and then set the flaps to 35° on final at a speed of 100 mph[4].

During the flare, the aeroplane glided more than usually. The pilot braked a first time but the aeroplane skidded. He released the brakes and started braking a second time, the aeroplane skidded again and did not slow down. Concerned about colliding with a ditch at the end of the runway, the pilot continued braking and then made a RH input on the pedals to exit via a taxiway situated at the end of the runway. The LH wing tip followed by the nose of the aeroplane collided with the ground. The Cessna rolled over and came to a stop on its back. The pilot heard someone report the accident over the radio. He closed the fuel valve and switched off the magnetos and the battery before evacuating the aeroplane.

2 Additional information

2.1 Pilot information

The 29-year-old pilot held an ATPL(A) and had logged 164 flight hours, all in the previous three months and 59 hours in the thirty days preceding the accident. The pilot flew for an air operator on the Beech 1900 and carried out parachute drop flights from time to time in addition to this activity. The pilot had been approved for the Cessna 206 one month before the accident and had logged 17 hours and 30 minutes on type.

2.2 Meteorological information

The METAR for Nîmes-Garons airport situated at a distance of 11 km from Nîmes-Courbessac indicated a mean wind of 3 kt principally from 280° and varying between 240° and 310°. The ceiling and visibility conditions were CAVOK.

2.3 Aircraft information

2.3.1 Cessna 206

The Cessna 206 has a maximum take-off and landing weight of 1,630 kg. It is equipped with a Continental six-cylinder engine developing a maximum power of 300 BHP[5]. The Cessna 206 landing distance[6] on a grass runway, given the characteristics of Nîmes-Courbessac aerodrome is around 520 m. The landing run is 320 m.

The Cessna 206 cockpit groups several instruments to monitor various parameters of the power plant, in particular the cylinder temperature. When the engine is operating normally, the CHT must be between 200°F and 480°F[7].

The Cessna 206 flight manual indicates that the CHT indicator must be functional to operate this aeroplane in VFR or IFR.

2.3.2 Particular case of F-HUXY

The pilot indicated that the cylinder temperature indicated by the instruments of F-HUXY was naturally high and regularly above the maximum value of 480°F mentioned in the flight manual. This fault had been identified by the pilot in the accident during his first flights on F-HUXY. The pilot had then been informed that the sensor sent erroneous values.

The cylinder temperature sensor had been replaced before the accident flight.  The pilot added that he had never observed the CHT value on F-HUXY reach 600°F before the accident flight.