Accident to the Jodel - D20 identified 54AUJ on 25/09/2018 at Aillant-sur-Tholon (Yonne)

Cat. 2 investigation report: simplified-format report, adapted to the circumstances of the occurrence and the investigation stakes.

Fearing imminent fuel exhaustion, the pilot decided to abort the flight and make a precautionary field landing. It could not be determined whether this situation was the result of an erroneous assessment of the endurance during flight planning, inadequate monitoring of fuel consumption, or a fuel gauge failure during the flight.
After landing, the pilot refuelled the tank after obtaining fuel from a nearby service station. He then took off again from the field where he had landed, in the opposite direction to that used for the landing. The wind was essentially a tailwind for this take-off. During the initial climb, in a left turn, the pilot lost control of the microlight. In this phase of flight, at low airspeed, stability and manoeuvrability were reduced. The strong wind, particularly the gusts at the time of the accident, may have made it more difficult to control the turn and the symmetry of the flight, which could have contributed to the loss of roll control.
The low height did not allow the pilot to regain control of the microlight and avoid collision with the ground.