BRL has requested that the original thread I started yesterday become a condolences thread, hence I'll start a new one.
9 TBM 700 accidents in the NTSB database, including the one at Moulins. We've had two recently in the UK, at Dundee and now at Oxford. I've ridden in the TBM 700 and consider it to be a fine aeroplane, but I'm struck by some of the similarities:
1998 Truckee CA Loss of control in a night circling approach. Pilot inadvertently enters a 70-80 deg left bank. Recovers attitude but cannot avoid ground impact.
1998 Spearfish SD Loss of control on approach. "As the airplane came out of the cloud, it turned left in about a 30-degree turn. The angle of bank increased to about 70 to 80 degrees, the tail of the airplane came up, and the airplane impacted the ground nose first."
1999 Winchester VA was a gear up, no one badly hurt.
2000 Harrisburg IL Loss of control on approach. "I added power to stop the descent, however, there was a significant delay (much longer than normal) in the response of the engine. The engine finally spooled and at that moment a gust lifted the right wing and the left wing dropped, I corrected but there was not enough altitude and the left wing impacted the ground."
2001 Englewood, CO Loss of control after departure in low IMC. "The first radar contact was at 0718:38.69, when the airplane was in a climbing left turn at an encoded altitude of 5,800 feet and at a ground speed of 109 knots. The data showed the airplane achieving a maximum encoded altitude of 7,000 feet before entering a descending left turn. The last recorded contact was at 0719:38.62 when the airplane was at 6,700 feet."
2002 Moulins, France Loss of control on short final "Peu avant d'effectuer l'arrondi, il estime qu'il va "être un peu court", il effectue une action à cabrer et augmente légèrement de puissance. Jugeant que l'assiette à cabrer devient trop importante il remet les gaz. L'avion s'incline à gauche. Le saumon d'aile gauche touche la raquette du seuil de piste."
2003 Aspen CO Loss of control on approach "The approach was normal until approximately 100 feet above the runway at which time the airplane encountered a turbulence condition causing rapid-roll tendencies right and left. As the student began his landing flare at about 15 feet above the runway, the left wing dropped rapidly combined with a sudden high sink rate."
2003 Leesburg VA (Prelim) Loss of control on approach. A witness reports: "The airplane then made a sharp left bank and started to turn toward the north. It continued to increase the left bank, when the nose dropped down into the trees, and the witness lost sight of it." Another reportsS: "When he looked up, he saw it exiting the clouds, about four stories above the ground, in a level attitude, headed east. The airplane then made a sharp left bank and started to turn towards the north. The nose of the airplane "was being pulled up" while in the turn. It then dropped, and pointed down toward the ground. "
2003 Mobile AL (Prelim) Ground impact after engine shutdown. No details in the report yet.
Then we have 2003 Dundee, in which the aircraft suffers a dramatic left wing drop on final and leaves the left side of the runway (maybe WCollins can offer a comment).
Now 2003 Oxford, A witness said: "The aircraft appeared to be making a fairly normal approach at about 200-300 yards before the end of the runway. It made a level left turn and rolled to the left and then went down, almost spiralling perpendicularly."
Am I clutching at straws or is the word "left" coming up with more regularity than is reasonable?