Accident to the Jodel DR250 registered F-BNJO on 29/10/2022 at Aubigny-sur-Nère

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in October 2022. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference (December 2022).

Note: the following information is principally based on statements made by the pilot. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1. History of the flight

Coming from Dijon-Darois, the pilot, alone on board, flew overhead Aubigny-sur-Nère aerodrome at 2,100 ft in preparation for a full stop landing. She noted a southerly wind and joined the downwind leg for runway 24 at 1,600 ft[1].

On final, with the aeroplane configured for landing, at a speed of between 120 and 130 km/h, the pilot felt the aircraft sink as she flew over the vegetation bordering the aerodrome perimeter. She tried to intercept the approach slope, which reduced her speed. She then adjusted the power to return to the final approach speed. She performed a three-point landing without bouncing. Shortly after contact with the ground, she lost control of the aeroplane's path which veered off the left side of the runway before tipping forward and onto its back in the grass.

The pilot safetied the aeroplane by setting the battery and fuel selectors to OFF, pulling the throttle and mixture levers to the stop and switching off the magnetos, before evacuating unaided.

2. Additional information

2.1 Meteorological information

The meteorological information at the time of the accident at Orléans - Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel airport, located 27 NM north-west of Aubigny-sur-Nère, indicated a calm south-east wind. The cloud and visibility conditions were CAVOK.

The pilot had obtained a  wind forecast from  a specialised website which indicated an estimated wind at Aubigny-sur-Nère aerodrome of 9kt from the south-east at the time of the accident.

2.2. Aeroplane information

The DR250 is a conventional fixed gear aeroplane.

The aeroplane flight manual specifies that the second flap detent position (60°) is the landing configuration and that the approach speed is 130 km/h.

The wheels are braked by means of a hand-operated control.​​​​​​​

2.3. Pilot’s statement and experience

The pilot held a PPL (A) licence issued in 2014. She had logged 420 flight hours of which 43 h were on type. She had been co-owner of F-BNJO since 2021. Based at Dijon-Darois aerodrome, she regularly flew to Aubigny-sur-Nère aerodrome.

She said that she had consulted the weather information when preparing the flight. On the basis of this information she expected a southerly wind as confirmed during the flyover. She had planned to make a left input on the stick, on the windward side, during the landing run. She thought that her speed during the flare may have been a little excessive due to the power adjustment she made after she felt the aircraft sink on final. The loss of directional control occurred very quickly after the touchdown.

She indicated that she was in the habit of tightly fastening her seatbelt (lap belt only). She was not injured during the runway excursion and when the aeroplane tipped over onto its back. She was immediately concerned about the risk of fire and proceeded to safety the aeroplane.