Accident to the Evektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar RTC registered F-HDLH on 22/10/2022 at Biarritz

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in February 2023. 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 and Flightradar24 data recordings. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1. History of the flight

The pilot stated that he had prepared his flight out of Biarritz aerodrome for runway circuits with the aim of complying with recent experience obligations for passenger transportation. Before his arrival at the club, he had consulted the aeroplane documentation, the NOTAMs, the visual aerodrome chart and the meteorological condition on the AEROWEB website (METAR, TAF, WINTEM and SIGWX).

When he arrived at the aerodrome, he listened to the ATIS and noted that the wind was from the south at 8 to 16 kt. He checked this information by looking at the windsock but thought that the wind was calm. He went through the pre-flight checks, took off from runway 27 at 13:29 and joined the downwind leg. The runway circuit went normally until the last turn when he felt turbulence which he considered strong. He added that he was focused on managing the flight path because there was a strong wind. At a height of approximately five metres, he noted that the wind eased slightly, and he thought he could land. He explained that during the flare, the aeroplane was violently pushed to the ground. It bounced several times. The aeroplane came to stop on the side of the runway, with the pilot being unable to control the steering. The nose gear folded under the aeroplane and the propeller was damaged.

2. Additional information

2.1 Pilot information

The 26-year-old pilot held a PPL(A) licence with a SEP (A) rating valid until April 2023. At the time of the accident he had logged 70 flight hours of which 2 hours on type and 20 minutes In the previous three months.

The pilot indicated that he usually flew on the DR400 but that it was not available on the day of the accident.

2.2 Meteorological information

The 13:30 METAR gave the following information:

Wind from 180° at 9 kt, varying from 130° to 240°, CAVOK, temperature 25°C, dew point temperature 13°C, QNH 1013 hPa.

2.3 Aeroplane information

The Evektor SportStar RTC is a two-seat metal and composite aeroplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear and low wings. It is equipped with a 100 hp Rotax 912 ULS engine.

The demonstrated crosswind limit for take-off and landing is 18 kt.