Accidents
Undetected Ground Ice and Bird Avoidance felled Fokker 100
The crash of a Régional Fokker 100 shortly after takeoff from Pau, southwest France, in January 2007 was caused by undetected ground ice and excessive rota

The crash of a Régional Fokker 100 shortly after takeoff from Pau, southwest France, in January 2007 was caused by undetected ground ice and excessive rotation on liftoff, according to the French air accident investigation board. The accident killed one driver on the road the aircraft traversed.

According to the report issued by the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), the French air accident investigation office, there is a cultural issue among French pilots about ground icing. Some of them believe, for example, that there is no risk of ground icing if there is no in-flight icing, BEA investigators determined. The report recommends improving training to enhance pilot awareness of this issue. The Régional accident is the first recorded accident involving ground icing in France.