Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 15 October 2023
Aircraft Type: Cessna 208 Caravan I
Owner/operator: Skydive Center … Tallard
Registration Number: F-HSLE
Location: near Gap-Tallard Airfield (GAT/LFNA) – ÿ France
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Investigating Agency: BEABEA
Category: Accident
Sorry there is no information available.

Description

The skydiving plane crashed on a wooded mountainside in the Pic de Crigne sector near Gap-Tallard Airfield (GAT/LFNA). The aircraft had just dropped fifteen skydivers at FL140. BEA Conclusions: After completing the sixth parachute drop of the day, while descending toward the airfield, the pilot set a southeast course toward the terrain. The aircraft’s trajectory and speed, along with the tone of the pilot’s voice during a final exchange with the “Para Starter” just seconds before the collision with the terrain, suggest a deliberate maneuver. In the absence of elements supporting other hypotheses, this deviation from the return circuit to the airfield is compatible with a sudden impulsive act, allowing the pilot to escape from the psycho-emotional context from which he appeared to be suffering. background: In October 2022, the pilot was on sick leave after attempting suicide on the 12th. The Director of Civil Aviation Safety suspended the pilot’s medical fitness on 17 October 2022 and referred the matter to the Conseil M‚dical de l’A‚ronautique Civile (CMAC), which declared him unfit. On 8 December 2022, the pilot underwent a medical and psychological examination as part of a full class 1 medical check-up at the request of the CMAC. Following this medical and psychological examination, the psychiatrist issued a reserved opinion on the prognosis from a medical and psychological point of view and indicated that, in the event of a return to service, a reassessment should be scheduled after six months to assess his rehabilitation. On 8 March 2023, the CMAC, after hearing the pilot and re-examining his medical file, once again issued a medical certificate of fitness to the pilot without any restrictions or follow-up obligations. In April 2023, the pilot and his employer signed an amendment to the contract for a change to part-time work, with a gradual resumption of flights in April and May. From 10 September to 7 October 2023, the pilot was on leave, during which time he attended a course to obtain an Instrument Rating (IR) with a view to professional development. However, due to an insufficient level of English to qualify for the IR rating, the pilot did not attempt to take the final test. The wife of the pilot stated that in the days leading up to the accident, she and her husband had separated.

Source of Information

https://bea.aero/en/investigation-reports/notified-events/detail/accident-to-the-cessna-208-registered-f-hsle-on-15-10-2023-at-monetier-allemont/, https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2023/10/15/un-petit-avion-s-ecrase-a-proximite-de-l-aerodrome-gap-tallard, https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/hautes-alpes/crash-d-un-avion-a-l-aerodrome-de-tallard-le-pilote-seul-a-bord-trouve-la-mort-dans-l-accident-2856578.html#Echobox=1697368519https://bea.aero/en/investigation-reports/notified-events/detail/accident-to-the-cessna-208-registered-f-hsle-on-15-10-2023-at-monetier-allemont/, https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-divers-justice/2023/10/15/un-petit-avion-s-ecrase-a-proximite-de-l-aerodrome-gap-tallard, https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/hautes-alpes/crash-d-un-avion-a-l-aerodrome-de-tallard-le-pilote-seul-a-bord-trouve-la-mort-dans-l-accident-2856578.html#Echobox=1697368519

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