Accident to the Pottier P180S registered F-PYKT on 16/09/2020 at Arbent (Ain)

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

The pilot undertook a trip lasting several days for which he had to carry professional equipment in addition to his personal luggage. He took off from runway 04, which is the preferred runway at Oyonnax-Arbent aerodrome. During the initial climb, the pilot did not manage to obtain the expected climb performance. It is likely that the plane’s low speed did not enable him to make a turn, forcing him to continue straight ahead. This path took the plane over a residential area offering no clear space to make an emergency landing. The plane collided on its line of flight with the ground.
The investigation was unable to explain why the aeroplane’s theoretical climb performance was not obtained. The hypothesis of a take-off on the back side of the power curve maintained during the climb is consistent with the path and the slow speed of the aeroplane described by the witnesses.