Socata TBM-700

The accident flight was the final one of a series of sales demonstration flights. The demonstration pilot occupied the right seat and a potential customer was handling the aircraft from the left seat. The handling pilot was qualified and current on helicopters but had only 100 hours of fixed wing flying experience and had not flown a fixed wing aircraft as-pilot-in-command for some eight years; he controlled the aircraft throughout the flight, under the instruction of the demonstration pilot. After some general handling, including turns and a demonstration of the final approach configuration, F-GLBD returned to the local circuit. The first approach to runway 20 was slightly steep and the landing was firm but satisfactory. During the ground roll the demonstration pilot reconfigured the aircraft and the handling pilot applied power and made a take-off for another circuit. The second approach which was for a final landing was initially stable and on the glideslope. However, on short finals the aircraft went below the glideslope and the nose attitude was too high. There was a crosswind from the right and F-GLBD was on the left of the extended centerline. The demonstration pilot put his left hand on the power lever below that of the handling pilot and, as he did so, told the handling pilot to increase power. When no power was apparent the demonstration pilot repeated his instruction and also applied pressure to the power lever. As the aircraft approached the flare the handling pilot released the power lever and put both hands on the control wheel; the power lever moved quickly to the fully open position under the hand pressure of the demonstration pilot. The aircraft rolled rapidly to approximately 20° to 30° angle of bank to the left and the demonstration pilot took control with both hands on the control wheel. However, the left wing tip and the outboard trailing edge of the left flap struck the ground; the wing tip impact mark was off the runway to the left and the flap impact mark was just on the runway. The left main wheel then made contact with the runway, closely followed by the right main wheel. As the aircraft left the runway at an angle of approximately 230° to the left, the demonstration pilot closed the power lever, the aircraft continued across the grass for a distance of approximately 350 metres. It passed through and destroyed part of the PAPI installation, crossed runway 30 and came to a stop. At the time of the accident, it was dark and the weather was good; the surface wind was 230°/5 knots. All six occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

According to the aircraft occupants, the aircraft owner, who holds a commercial pilot and cfi certificates, was occupying the right front seat. A friend of the pilot, a 246 hour private pilot with no experience in high performance turbine powered aircraft, was in the left seat and flying the aircraft under the direction of the owner. While on a straight in approach to the airport, the flight was advised three times by the atct of a variable right cross wind from 200 to 220° at speeds from 8 to 14 knots, with higher gust components. The tower also advised the flight of reports of light to moderate turbulence all the way to the ground. Both pilots reported that the aircraft had just touched down on runway 18 when a sudden cross wind gust lifted the right wing. The private pilot did not correct the situation and the aircraft owner could not overpower the other pilots control inputs in time to correct for the wind gust. The left wing tip drug the ground and the aircraft cartwheeled off the left side of the runway and into an airport fence.

The crew was completing a test flight from Toussus-le-Noble to Epinal. On approach to Epinal-Mirecourt Airport, visibility was below minimums. On final, as the crew was unable to locate the runway, he decided to initiate a go-around procedure and increased engine power. The aircraft rolled to the left, causing the left wing and the engine to struck the runway surface. Power was reduced and the aircraft bounced and eventually came to rest 400 metres further. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.