Accident to the Cessna F172 registered F-GCHO on 30/06/2024 near Lognes AD

On returning from a local flight from Lognes - Émerainville aerodrome, the pilot provided the air traffic controller with information that was inconsistent with his actual position. He indicated that he was five minutes from point ECHO, then at ECHO, whereas he was around 4 NM further east. He then asked if he had passed ECHO while he was still about 1 NM away. Moreover, he read back to the air traffic controller the information that he would fly overhead the facilities
at 1,500 ft, while he actually continued to descend until he was in level flight at a very low height (less than 150 ft), for approximately 2 NM, above the motorway, without asking the air traffic controller for help.

The radar track and the videos of the accident showed that the flight remained under control until the aeroplane collided with a power line. No technical anomaly was detected on the aeroplane during the investigation, and the power line, which was visible from the aeroplane, was identified and fitted with the regulatory aeronautical lighting.

The investigation was unable to explain why the pilot performed this level-off manoeuvre for more than 1 min, at an abnormally low height that did not guarantee a sufficient safety margin to clear obstacles and without informing the controller of any difficulty.