Two aviation enthusiasts appeared before the Beauvais court. During a flight, surprised by the weather, they tore down a high voltage line near the A16. The case was reserved until October 10, 2024.
“What happened was a different kind of theft that you are used to, Mr. President”tempts one of the two defendants in this unusual case with a touch of humor. Indeed, far from the burglaries and other thefts to which the Beauvais judicial court is accustomed, it was a question of judging, Thursday September 19, 2024, an amateur pilot and his flight instructor.
On January 30, 2023, the two men were flying aboard a small Cessna plane® and had attached, near La Drenne and near the A16 which they were following, a high voltage line.
At the time of impact, the aircraft’s landing gear had been torn off but, a few moments later, the instructor was able to land the plane without incident at Beauvais-Tillé.
The defendants thought the weather would improve
At the helm, the two men, the septuagenarian, pilot and owner of the small plane, accompanied by his flight instructor, detail in detail this day which could have been the last. THE “active retiree”as he likes to remind us, had just changed the engine of his aircraft and wanted to carry out a training flight, between Pontoise and Amiens.
Having not taken orders for over a year, he asks his friend to accompany him. Unfortunately, in the middle of winter, the weather is not good enough to take to the air. The duo waits a little and after reflection, decides to take off. “We saw that the weather was going to improve, that if the weather was not very good in Pontoise, it was very good in Amiens”specifies the flight instructor, a professional pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours under his belt. He was also the captain on this flight.
After obtaining approval from the control tower, the Cessna® takes off towards the north. By habit, the pilot follows the A16 motorway visually to get his bearings. Except that as they approach La Drenne, the duo is surprised by a stratus cloud. “It’s not a cloud like in the cartoons, all white. You go inside and you can no longer see the ground.”
Problem is, both men are adept at visual theft, the principle of which is “see and avoid”. “If we spend our time with our eyes glued to a map, that’s when accidents happen”he tells the president when he asks him if the obstacles like the pylons they hit were indicated on a map. “Between Pontoise and Beauvais, there are no notable obstacles, except for a few variations in relief. »
“Bad combination of circumstances” according to the defendants
Unfortunately, their aircraft is not equipped with on-board instruments that can indicate height from the ground. Deprived of visibility, the two men did not realize that they were getting dangerously close to the ground and an electricity pylon. “We fly at 180km/h. Everything happens very quickly, in 40 seconds. While we had visibility of 10km, we entered this cloud”remembers the sixty-year-old.
The two defendants recognize an error of judgment, that they should have avoided the stratus by gaining altitude. Unable to see around, they are surprised by the pylon and hit a high voltage line, which frays slightly. At the moment of impact, their landing gear was torn off. He will be found about fifteen meters from the power line. “It’s a bad combination of circumstances”underlines the pilot. “We had no way of estimating the altitude on board. We collided but it wasn’t intentionaladds the instructor. We didn’t have enough eyes outside.”.
Perfectly aware of having come close to death, the two men know that they are very lucky. “Out of eight comparable accidents, we are the only survivors”underlines the sixty-year-old. “This type of accident accounts for 20% of civilian aircraft deaths”adds the captain.
The bonds of friendship and trust between the two defendants shine through very clearly in their testimonies. “He reacted perfectly, otherwise we wouldn’t be here to talk about it anymore”says the professional while his sidekick adds that his instructor “is the best he has ever known” .
2,000 euros fine required
Words that did not soften Me Camille De-Cerval, public prosecutor, who reminded the two men that this incident could have had catastrophic consequences. In her requisitions, the Prosecutor relied in particular on a decree dating from October 10, 1957. This details the flight rules with an obligation to fly at a height of 1000 feet above the ground and 500 feet, i.e. approximately 150m, from the highest obstacle.
She also specifies that the report from the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety reveals a “certain number of errors”committed by the duo as “the decision to fly in unfavorable weather or an excess of mutual trust”. “There is a danger to the lives of others because the accident occurred near the highway. It could have been dramatic. There was a real risk for road users, especially as the landing gear fell near a secondary road.she declared before announcing her requisitions: €2,000 fine. Placed under deliberation, the decision will be rendered on October 10, 2024.
As for the plane, it is still sealed, despite the request for restitution made by the owner’s lawyer. Despite the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation did not suspend the flight instructor. Supporting evidence, the latter proved to the court that the institution had recently renewed its confidence in him. Today, the two men still fly together.
Emeline Bertel
