Accident to the Robin DR400 registered F-GLDN and the fixed-wing microlight ATEC 122 Zéphyr identified 44APT on 29/11/2024 on Lunéville - Croismare AD
Collision on final between an aeroplane and a microlight, collision of the aeroplane with the ground
During a licence revalidation flight, the instructor and the pilot of the DR400 were carrying out a practice forced landing at Lunéville - Croismare aerodrome. They monitored the published A/A frequency (123.5 MHz) and thought that there were no other aircraft in the aerodrome circuit.
The pilot of the microlight, on the return leg of a local flight from Lunéville aerodrome, most probably mistakenly selected the frequency 125.5 MHz instead of 123.5 MHz. His radio messages were not heard by the other users of the aerodrome, and he thought that he was alone in the aerodrome circuit.
On short final for runway 09, the two aircraft collided at a height of approximately 20 m. The pilot of the DR400 saw the microlight below him at the last moment, and instinctively tried to dampen the impact by pulling on the stick. The aeroplane stalled and fell into a field full of rubble located on the axis of the runway. The pilot of the microlight thought he had suffered an engine “explosion” and performed an emergency landing on the unpaved runway.