10/20/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/20/2023 09:38
Collision with trees on night approach
France - BEA
Although aware that night was approaching, the pilot decided to undertake a ferry flight, believing that he would be able to reach his destination before the aeronautical night. The delays accumulated before the flight did not lead him to reconsider his decision to undertake the flight, and the pilot took off less than 15 minutes before sunset at his destination, at a time that would very likely not allow him to land before the aeronautical night.
En route, due to the low light conditions, he initially decided to divert. He felt that a diversion to Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport, which he had just passed, was not possible because of a controllers' strike. He therefore opted for Saint-Gaudens-Montréjeau aerodrome, which is not equipped for night flying. Unable to make out the runway, he continued on to his originally intended destination, with which he was more familiar, being aware of the surrounding terrain, and with very limited external visual references. He made contact with trees during the first approach, without losing control of the aeroplane.
Local date | 16/02/2023 |
Responsible entity | France - BEA |
Scope of Investigation | Full (Annex 13) type investigation |
State or area of occurrence | Europe and North Atlantic - France - 31 Haute-Garonne |
Location | Bagnères de Luchon AD |
Human consequences | None |
Aircraft consequences | Substantial |
Occurrence class | Accident |
Occurence category | CTOL: Collision with obstacle(s) during take-off and landing |
File number | BEA2023-0047 |
Aircraft category | Fixed Wing - Aeroplane - Small Aeroplane - Small Aeroplane |
Operator | France - Other (Luchon Air Club Moteur) |
Manufacturer / Model | SOCATA - RALLYE180 |
Aircraft Registration | F-BVZU |
State of registry | France |
Last departure point | France - LFBP (PUF): Pau Pyrénées |
Planned destination | France - LFCB : Bagnères de luchon |
Flight phase | Approach |
Serial number | 12562 |
Operator Type AG | Flying club/school |
Operation Type | Non-Commercial Operations - Pleasure - Cross Country |
BEA is the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety. It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsiblity.