Estado:	Final
Fecha:	20 FEB 1989
Hora:	16:04
Tipo:	Swearingen SA226-AT Merlin IV
Operador:	Dirac Aviation
Registración:	F-GERP
Numéro de série:	AT-012
Año de Construcción:	1973
Horas Totales de la Célula:	7136
Motores:	2 Garrett TPE331-3U-303G
Tripulación:	Fatalidades: 0 / Ocupantes: 2
Pasajeros:	Fatalidades: 0 / Ocupantes: 0
Total:	Fatalidades: 0 / Ocupantes: 2
Víctimas de la colisión:	Fatalidades: 4
Daños en la Aeronave:	Considerable
Consecuencias:	Repaired
Ubicación:	cerca Castera-Lou (Francia)
Fase:	En ruta (ENR)
Naturaleza:	Vuelo Doméstico Programado
Aeropuerto de Salida:	Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE/LFMN), Francia
Aeropuerto de Llegada:	Lourdes-Tarbes Ossun Lourdes Airport (LDE/LFBT), Francia
Número de Vuelo:	31

Descripción:
Dirac Aviation Flight 31 departed Nice for a regular flight without passengers to Tarbes. As the Merlin IV approached Tarbes, the crew received descent instructions at 15:55 the flight was cleared to descent to 2600 ft by Pau Approach and three minutes later the flight contacted Tarbes Approach Control. At that the same time a SOCATA TB-10 was flying near Tarbes. The airplane was on a navigational training flight from Pau to Tarbes. The airplane had overflown
Tarbes and was cleared for a circuit in preparation for a runway 02 approach. They left the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) at 16:00. A few minutes later they entered the ATZ again, but did not establish radio contact with the controller. At 16:04 both aircraft collided in midair. The TB-10 crashed and the Merlin crew were able to carry out a forced landing on one engine, with a destroyed windscreen and just one landing gear leg extended. The Merlin touched down near the runway and slid for 325 m before coming to rest.

CAUSES PROBABLE: "La collision en vol des deux avions résulte de la pénétration, dans l'ATZ de Tarbes sans contact radio, à la même heure et à la même altitude que le Merlin F-GERP, du TB 10 F-GEVD, malgré l'information trafic qui lui avait été fournie. Par ailleurs la surveillance visuelle que les deux équipages étaient censés fournir ne leur a as permis de détecter l'autre avion."

Fuentes:
» Rapport final relatif a la collision en vol entre le TB 10 immatrcule F-GEVD et le Merlin IV immatricule F-GERP survenue le 20 fevrier 1989 a Tarbes (65) / Bureau Enquêtes-Accidents