History of the Flight
On 18 December 2018, the pilot, owner of N842CD, took off from Toussus-le-Noble aerodrome at 11:40 local time with a passenger for a pleasure flight. After flying over the Channel coast between Le Havre and Deauville, they headed back. About 50 minutes into the flight, engine oil pressure began to decrease from a stable 54 PSI, eventually reaching zero. Oil temperature slowly increased from 181°F. The pilot, having left the Évreux military zone frequency, did not contact Chevreuse FIS and was unaware of the decreasing oil pressure, planning a direct track to runway 07 at Toussus-le-Noble. As oil pressure fell to 30 PSI, the numeric value appeared yellow on the PFD and MFD. Approximately five minutes later, engine rpm dropped from 2,530 to 2,000. The pilot, having detected the issue, disengaged the autopilot, descended, and diverted toward Dreux Vernouillet aerodrome. Engine rpm briefly recovered to 2,470, then oil temperature rose sharply. When oil pressure reached 10 PSI, a red oil warning appeared. Less than two minutes later, the engine shut down at an oil pressure of 6 PSI and temperature of 200°F. The pilot deployed the emergency parachute at about 1,700 ft. The aircraft descended vertically under the parachute, touched down in a field, broke the nose gear, and was dragged by the wind, nosing over onto its back. The pilot and passenger managed to extract themselves and called emergency services.
Examination of Site and Wreckage
Examination revealed extensive oil marks along the fuselage, underside, wings, and tail unit, indicating in-flight oil loss. The quarter-turn oil cap/dipstick was missing from the engine and found about one meter from the wreckage. Oil marks were present on the engine near the oil filler port, and the air intake filter was greasy with oil droplets. No damage to the oil tank cap or port was found. These observations indicated that a substantial quantity of oil escaped through the filler port while the cap was unsecured.
Pilot Experience
The pilot held a PPL(A) with SEP land and single engine IR ratings, logging 3,170 total flight hours, including 2 hours 12 minutes in the preceding three months on N842CD. He also held a PPL(H) with R44 rating and a microlight license with fixed-wing rating.
Meteorological Information
At 13:00, the general situation over Île-de-France was CAVOK with surface southeasterly to southerly wind around 10 kt. At FL020, wind was southerly 30-35 kt. The Toussus-le-Noble METAR at 12:30 reported wind from 140° at 11 kt, CAVOK. The pilot reported en route wind at 3,000 ft of about 50 kt from 185°.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported checking oil quantity before each flight by unlocking and replacing the cap, without noting any problem during preflight. He first saw the yellow oil pressure indication on the MFD about eight minutes from navigation fix PN406. He initiated a diversion to Dreux Vernouillet but rejected it. Realizing the issue was genuine when oil temperature increased, he then observed the engine misfiring and shutting down. After setting mixture to idle cut-off and power to idle, he considered the terrain (marshes, rivers, ponds) and decided to deploy the parachute at 1,700 ft, fearing insufficient altitude. The parachute deployment caused a sudden deceleration, and the aircraft pitched nose-down before the pyrotechnic shears activated, returning it to a horizontal attitude. The impact was violent; after about 30 seconds, the wind dragged the parachute, turning the aircraft onto its back. The pilot kicked a door to create an exit, and both occupants escaped. He did not use the egress hammer. He noted the benefit of four-point harnesses and the safety position.