Accident to the Robin DR400 registered F-BVMQ on 22/06/2022 at Lognes

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in December 2022. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference. January 2023

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

1. History of the flight

The student pilot was authorised by her instructor to make a local solo flight. During the planning meeting[1], they discussed the forecast wind, which was a crosswind from 040° of 5 kt. In the aeroplane, she checked the ATIS which announced a wind of 7 kt. While taxiing, she observed the windsock and estimated the wind at 10 kt. After completing the before-take-off actions and checks at the holding point of taxiway N4, she lined up on paved runway 08[2] with a left turn and stopped.

The controller cleared the student for take-off and informed her of a wind from 040° of 9kt. As soon as the take-off run began, the aeroplane veered to the left. The student was unable to keep the aeroplane on the runway centreline and the aeroplane veered off the left side of the runway. She then reduced power and applied the manual brake. The right wing hit a sign and the aeroplane came to rest at the holding point of taxiway N3, outside the runway OFZ.

Figure 1: excerpt from Lognes Visual Approach Chart (Source: AIS)

2. Additional information

The 27-year-old student pilot had started her training in June 2019[3]  and had logged approximately 60 flight hours. She had made three solo flights for a total of two hours. She had carried out these flights during the weeks prior to the accident.

The instructor indicated that the student had been flying regularly and that he had not considered it necessary to carry out a runway circuit in dual command before this solo flight.