Date:	Tuesday 15 August 2023
Time:	11:43
Type:	Robin DR.400/140B Dauphin 4
Owner/operator:	Aéro-club Loudunais
Registration:	F-GMXY
MSN:	2239
Year of manufacture:	1994
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Loire River, near Lavau-sur-Loire, Loire-Atlantique -   France
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Loudun Airfield (LFDL)
Destination airport:	La Baule-Escoublac Airfield (LBY/LFRE)
Investigating agency:	BEA
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Robin DR.400/140B Dauphin 4 crashed into the Loire River near Lavau-sur-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, with three persons on board.

The aircraft had departed its home base Loudun Airfield (LFDL) at 10:55 hours local time on a flight to La Baule-Escoublac Airfield (LBY/LFRE).

After being in contact with the Nantes tower, the pilot selected the wrong radio frequency and continued his flight, passing north of the Loire at an altitude of approximately 1,200 ft. One minute later, crossing north of the Cordemais power station, the pilot altered his trajectory to the south and began to descend, likely to avoid sea fog.

The aircraft very likely entered the cloud layer, causing the pilot to lose external visual references, leading probably to spatial disorientation. The pilot then probably did not realize he was beginning a right turn with a steep climb rate.

At an altitude of approximately 1,200 ft, the aircraft continued the sharp right turn with a steep nose-down attitude. The pilot likely lost control of the aircraft while in the turn.

When the aircraft emerged from the cloud layer, with a significant vertical speed and steep nose-down attitude, the pilot probably did not have time to react before the aircraft collided with the surface of the water.

Weather reported at Saint-Nazaire Montoir Airport, about 13 km west of the last recorded ADS-B point (0942Z):
LFRZ 151000Z AUTO 31005KT 230V030 9999 OVC012 18/16 Q1018 BECMG BKN020
LFRZ 150930Z AUTO 33005KT 270V020 9999 OVC013 18/16 Q1018 BECMG BKN020

https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/faits-divers/un-aeronef-porte-disparu-en-loire-atlantique-e19f6368-3b82-11ee-b327-5225e698095e
https://www.actu44.fr/le-journaliste-gerard-leclerc-decede-dans-un-accident-davion/
https://www.cnews.fr/france/2023-08-15/loire-atlantique-trois-personnes-dont-le-journaliste-gerard-leclerc-meurent-dans
https://fr.news.yahoo.com/mort-journaliste-g%C3%A9rard-leclerc-tu%C3%A9-193639620.html
https://fr.style.yahoo.com/avion-tourisme-pilot%C3%A9-journaliste-g%C3%A9rard-012437553.html
https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/mort-de-gerard-leclerc-dans-un-crash-d-avion-deux-corps-repeches-20230816
https://bea.aero/en/investigation-reports/notified-events/detail/accident-to-the-robin-dr400-registered-f-gmxy-on-15-08-2023-at-lavau-sur-loire/

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FGMXY/history/20230815/0857Z
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/f-gmxy#319906ff

http://www.aeroclubloudun.fr/les-avions/robin-dr400-140b/

⚠️Accident mortel de l’#avion @RobinAircraft #DR400 immatriculé F-GMXY survenu aujourd’hui à #LavauSurLoire/ Un enquêteur @BEA_Aero et un enquêteur de première information sur place ce jour, rejoints par deux enquêteurs @BEA_Aero demain. Ouverture d’une enquête de sécurité.

— BEA ✈️ ⚙️??? (@BEA_Aero) August 15, 2023

FRance - Un corps retrouvé après le crash d’un avion Robin DR.400/140B Major, F-GMXY, de l'aéroclub Loudunais près de Lavau-sur-Loire (44) en face de Paimboeuf.
ASN: https://t.co/X4QXzFU5q9
Presse: https://t.co/MA1YTnGoxv
?© Anthony Seeley 2023. pic.twitter.com/6cV1HxJ9o8

— PLANES OF LEGEND ✈️ (@PlanesOfLegend) August 15, 2023

Décès du journaliste Gérard Leclerc dans l’accident d’un avion qu’il pilotait. Longtemps ce frère de Julien Clerc fut un pilier de la rédaction d’Antenne 2/France2. Un confrère passionné et passionnant. Condoléances aux proches et à la famille. pic.twitter.com/MJOshjbkid

— Michel Mompontet (@mompontet) August 15, 2023

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Aug-2023 17:15	Romain58	Added
15-Aug-2023 17:18	harro	Updated
15-Aug-2023 19:08	Iceman 29	Updated
15-Aug-2023 19:43	RobertMB	Updated
16-Aug-2023 05:35	harro	Updated
16-Aug-2023 08:38	Iceman 29	Updated
18-Aug-2023 05:45	Anon.	Updated
23-Aug-2023 10:44	harro	Updated
13-Jul-2024 12:22	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Category, Accident report, ]