Aerobatic Champion Killed

[JEM60]

From another site.
French world aerobatic champion Renauld Lacalle has been killed in a plane crash, along with his family. I have no more details. Seen yesterday evening 20.20hrs.

[patowalker]

http://www.opex360.com/2010/10/04/le-capitaine-renaud-ecalle-champion-de-voltige-aerienne-sest-tue-accidentellement/

[7AC]

This is very sobering.
To think that such an accomplished pilot could be killed along with his family, wife and two young children, so easily.
They were traveling home in their Jodel 1050 when caught by weather in very difficult
terrain at dusk, and then not found until the next day.

[airsound]

World Aerobatics Champion Renaud Ecalle killed in flying accident in France

Translated from AFP

Local officials have confirmed that the 2009 world aerobatic champion, Renaud Ecalle, was killed on Sunday in Southern France following a plane crash along with his wife and their two children.

Renauld and his family were flying a Jodel DR-1050. Aircraft wreckage was found on Monday to the northwest of the city of Lodève after the aircraft went missing at 1730 GMT on Sunday evening when air traffic controllers at Montpellier lost contact with it.

Renaud Ecalle was returning from an airshow in Jonzac to his base at Salon-de-Provence, where he had conducted an aerobatic demonstration,

The causes of the accident is not known, but the Herault area where the plane crashed was on a weather alert during Sunday due to forecast heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

Renauld was a pilot with ”L’equipe Voltiage” of the French Air Force and former fighter pilot on Mirage F1. Renaud Ecalle was crowned world champion aerobatic champion in 2009 at Silverstone and was also European champion in 2010.

World Aerobatics Champion Renaud Ecalle killed in flying accident in France UK Airshow News from Flightline UK (http://www.airshows.org.uk/news/2010/10/world-aerobatics-champion-renaud-ecalle-killed-in-flying-accident-in-france/)

Renauld was clearly an outstanding person in so many respects. A total tragedy, made incomparably worse by the deaths of his family.

airsound

[IO540]

How many hours did he have in the Jodel, as a "touring GA" pilot?

Very very sad to hear of a family killed. Somebody who shared my hangar did this a few years ago, killing himself, his partner, and their 7 year old child (Seneca N2195B; in France too). In his case, however, the cause was not too hard to have a reasonable guess at, once you spoke to a number who had flown with him.

[maxred]

This is extremely sad news. I fly regularly with my 5 and 10 year old. I like to think I am extra vigilant when it comes to planning with them on board, however, sometimes I have been in a situation where I vowed never to get in again. When you here of things like this, that 'Ryanair' plan B, can be the best decision you ever make.

[peter272]

The 1050 is limited to day time VFR conditions in the UK. Not sure how this applies in France or if it was a contributing factor in this case.

[Vans Pilot]

The fact that they are mainly an LAA type here in the UK, with day VFR rules may yet prove to be a factor if similarities in France exist Peter.
My main point is, and it is the main point really, lets all be very sad, sympathetic and thankfull it was not us with our family. Let us all wait for some fact before we speculate, accuse or assume, unless you believe that speculation and assumptions, not true fact will improve your decision making process in aviation.
Thats all

[Fuji Abound]

Vans Pilot

The news is terribly sad.

Accidents always provoke speculation - some agree this is a good thing, some dont. I can see both sides of the argument.

There would seem to be very little known about the circumstances of this accident (or at least little known to me) so I am not sure if there is any evidence on which to base speculation anyway.

As an aerobatic pilot myself the thought did cross my mind that maybe this very skilled pilot ran into IMC in an aircraft that was not fitted to deal with it. Why? Well, it is difficult to imagine what would have unsettled a pilot with his considerable skills. Structural failure - well yes, that could cause problems for the best of us. It seems to me inevitable that thoughts like these might flash through any pilots mind?

Anyway none of this matters. Actually I am not one that supports unfounded speculation so my thoughts above, are my thoughts alone, and I share them only to illustrate that we all involve ourselves in these sort of mind games, if only because we think how could that have happened to him of all people. I have no idea what went wrong and nothing on which to base any guesses.

Who amoung us can honestly say they dont have similiar thoughts when reading about an accident?

[Pace]

None of us like to hear that a good pilot crashes a well maintained aircraft!

We prefer to hear that a bad (accident waiting to happen) pilot crashes a wreck as anything else exposes our own vulnerability.

Very sad news

Pace

[Katamarino]

Let us all wait for some fact before we speculate, accuse or assume, unless you believe that speculation and assumptions, not true fact will improve your decision making process in aviation.

This is a remarkably silly thing to say.

Speculation and assumption is a major part of ALL decision making. Based upon the assumed outcome of a number of possible courses of action, we choose the one that, according to our speculation, will have the best outcome.

Speculating on the causes of an accident help us all by reminding us of, or even making us aware for the first time of, possible situations that can lead to disaster. Suggesting we avoid it is a terribly bad and unthinking thing to do. A reminder of how things can go wrong is always a very valuable lesson, and it doesn't matter whether it turns out to be the actual accident cause or not; often we never even find out the cause, so to wait for someone to tell us what to think is rather pointless.

[patowalker]

How many hours did he have in the Jodel, as a "touring GA" pilot?He was French aerobatic vice-champion in 1997 and 1999, before he joined the air force, so it is safe to assume he had plenty of "GA" experience.

We can only speculate on what is meant by the "navigation difficulty" he reported to Montpellier ATC shortly before disappearing from radar screens.

[LH2]

He was French aerobatic vice-champion in 1997 and 1999, before he joined the air force, so it is safe to assume he had plenty of "GA" experience.

Recently I was speaking to a veteran instructor who was training someone for a national aviation qualification in France. Both student and instructor were ex-armée de l'air (fast jet and transport A/C respectively) and the instructor told me that that fact "did not mean anything" as regards our bit of GA flying. I disagreed with him, but the DGAC examiner who tested (and failed) the gentleman didn't. :ouch:

Not making any judgements about the case under discussion, just pointing out that your syllogism is not accepted by everyone.

[Katamarino]

LH2 - the post you quoted, but didn't read, says that he was an aerobatic champion twice BEFORE joining the airforce. Assuming he didn't hop in the plane and fly his winning routines without any experience at all, he will have had extensive GA experience.

[LH2]

LH2 - the post you quoted, but didn't read

Didn't I? Thank you for the news.

From my previous post:
Not making any judgements about the case under discussion

Now, what were you saying about responding before reading, let alone understanding? :rolleyes:

he will have had extensive GA experience.

I don't do aerobatics, so I'm not entirely sure how well that prepares you for a cross-country VFR flight with your family. Just to give an example of what is meant, and still not making any judgements specific to this event, even if using it as an example.

[Skylark58]

The 1050 is limited to day time VFR conditions in the UK. Not sure how this applies in France or if it was a contributing factor in this case.

The 1050 has only recently gone on to Permit to Fly in the UK with that consequent limitation. Prior to that they were on a normal C of A and a great many have full blind flying panels and lighting. I certainly flew mine in IMC on many occasions.

[BackPacker]

I don't do aerobatics, so I'm not entirely sure how well that prepares you for a cross-country VFR flight with your family.

Flying aerobatics is completely different from VFR touring. So learning to become a (better) aerobatics pilot does nothing for your touring abilities.

But having said that, to become an aerobatics champion you've got to travel to competitions all over the country, or even all over Europe. Typically in an aircraft that's not too stable (it's aerobatics after all), has very limited cockpit space (most are tandem or single seat) and has a very limited panel/avionics.

So I would expect that an aerobatics champion has extensive experience in doing VFR touring.

[IO540]

So I would expect that an aerobatics champion has extensive experience in doing VFR touring.

Yes, in VMC. But not necessarily in IMC, indicated by the "navigation difficulty" report.

I have flown with a pilot of thousands of hours, aerobatics capable, but he won't go near even the smallest cloud. This is fair enough of course (he is not instrument qualified and apparently not instrument capable) but hands up all those here who have done VFR touring without ever entering IMC. It is pretty difficult in practice, and the temptation is there. But even if you work hard to stay 100% VMC, the weather may not play ball. The classical solution (turning back) may not be available. Instrument capability (legal or not) can be a huge asset.

OTOH some aero pilots are evidently happy with IMC. The other week I read an article by a very well known UK aeros champion, about some flight he did years ago where he ended up above cloud, with no gyro instruments, and while he realised the seriousness of the situation he had no qualms about doing a flat spin down through the cloud :)

Glad to see the mods have deleted some posts. Debating this stuff is a good thing.

[BackPacker]

But not necessarily in IMC, indicated by the "navigation difficulty" report.

I agree. Your average aeros pilot will have the same touring experience, including navigating in marginal VFR, creative VFR or whatever, as your average non-aeros PPL who flies roughly the same number of x-country hours.

Although aerobatics pilots may have had more reason to press on in deteriorating conditions, since they need to be at the briefing at a certain airfield, by a certain time and *with their aircraft*, in order to attend the competition. It's far harder for them to come up with a 'Plan B' than for your average GA tourer. I mean, if you divert to another airfield, or drop the plane off somewhere and travel by train to your destination, you're still not going to compete, are you? But the 100-euro hamburger can be had everywhere. So that issue may (note: "may") cause aerobatics pilots to push on in deteriorating conditions further than your average PPL might do. Which in turn gives them more experience in dealing with those conditions than your average PPL.

I can't speak for others, but I have undertaken flights to reach a competition site (or coming back from a competition site) in conditions that I would rather not expose any passengers to. Even though the flights were in VMC conditions and no other regulations were broken.

[peter272]

The 1050 is limited to day time VFR conditions in the UK. Not sure how this applies in France or if it was a contributing factor in this case.

The 1050 has only recently gone on to Permit to Fly in the UK with that consequent limitation. Prior to that they were on a normal C of A and a great many have full blind flying panels and lighting. I certainly flew mine in IMC on many occasions.

Of course you are right, and they are perfectly capable aircraft. The last one I flew though was not equipped for IMC flight and did not have a lot of spare electrical generating power. My point is that once on the UK Permit it would be placarded as not allowing night and IMC flight. I don't lay claim to any knowledge of the French rules.