Engine Failure and Ballistic Parachute Deployment in a Cirrus SR22 (F-HAPH)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On January 6, 2014, at approximately 07:45 local time, a private Cirrus SR22 with registration F-HAPH experienced a severe engine failure during a night flight. The aircraft was operating under an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan, traveling from La Roche-sur-Yon-Les Ajoncs (85) to Grenoble-Saint-Geoir (38). The pilot and one passenger were on board. The incident occurred approximately 20 minutes after takeoff while the aircraft was climbing toward Flight Level 100. The pilot reported hearing abnormal noises and observing a red low oil pressure warning light before the engine stopped completely. Following the failure, the pilot issued a distress call on the Nantes Approach frequency and began a descent in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) toward Mauléon (79), located about 15 nautical miles to the north. After exiting the cloud layer between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, the pilot determined that a gliding landing at the airfield was not possible and activated the aircraft's ballistic recovery system, resulting in a landing in a field near Le Pin (79).