Accident to the Diamond - DA42 registered F-HVES on 28/07/2021 at Joigny (Yonne)

Cat. 3 investigation report: report concerning an occurrence with limited consequences, based on one or more statements not independently validated by the BEA.

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in September 2021. 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 statements made by the student pilot. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1 - HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT

The student pilot, accompanied by an instructor, took off at around 19:15 from Toussus-le-Noble aerodrome bound for Joigny. On arrival, he carried out a reconnaissance flyover of the facilities at an altitude of 2,500 ft. He then joined the aerodrome circuit at 1,700 ft (height of 1,000 ft) in order to land on runway 26. In the downwind leg, he set the flaps to the APP position, extended the landing gear and stabilized the aeroplane at an airspeed of 100 kt.
He turned onto the base leg then onto the final, intercepted the slope and set the flaps to the LDG position. The aeroplane was stabilized on the slope at 76 kt. The student flared at the displaced threshold of runway 26. On the main landing gear touching the ground, the student pilot saw the shape of a doe passing from the left to the right, between the left engine nacelle and the nose gear strut. The student and the instructor felt a strong impact under the cockpit, the aeroplane’s nose dropped, hit the runway and the propeller blades struck the ground. The aeroplane veered to the left, sliding on its nose, without the student pilot or the instructor being able to regain control. The aeroplane came to rest in the grass, at half a wingspan from the left side of the runway.
The nose gear strut bent backwards and became embedded in the airframe. The propellers and the radome holding the weather radar were destroyed.

2 - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The 19-year-old student pilot was in training for a CPL(A). At the time of the accident, he had logged 80 flight hours of which 34 hours in the previous three months and seven hours on the DA 42.
The instructor indicated that he had not seen the doe before the collision.
Joigny aerodrome is located at the edge of Saint-Aubin forest.