What happened
On 5 March 2021, a Diamond DA40-NG, registered F-HRPM, was conducting a training flight for commercial pilot and multi-engine instrument ratings. The flight, operated by Cannes Aviation Academy, was traveling from Cannes Mandelieu to Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte. While cruising at 6,000 feet over the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 40 nautical miles from the Corsican coast, the aircraft experienced a sudden and total loss of engine power.
Following the power loss, the instructor attempted several engine restart procedures and followed the necessary checklists. After being unable to restore power, the instructor declared a Mayday and initiated a U-turn toward Corsica. At 18:11, the instructor performed an emergency ditching in the sea. The three occupants—an instructor and two student pilots—successfully evacuated the aircraft and deployed a life-raft before the plane sank rapidly. The crew was eventually rescued by a helicopter approximately two hours later.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sudden loss of engine power and the subsequent survival and rescue operations. Investigators examined the aircraft's engine, a relatively new Austro Engine E4-A, which had only 42 flight hours since installation. The investigation also reviewed the flight path, radio communications, and the effectiveness of the onboard survival equipment.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a sudden malfunction in the high-pressure fuel system, which led to the engine power reduction.
- While the exact component failure could not be definitively identified, investigators noted that a fault in the high-pressure fuel pump, the pressure control valve, or the fuel flow metering unit could have caused the shutdown.
- The instructor did not manually activate the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) during the flight.
- The successful rescue was significantly aided by the proactive actions of the air traffic controller, who activated the distress phase (DETRESFA 6), and the presence of another aircraft, an APM 30 registered F-HNIZ, which spotted the life-raft using a Bengal light.
- The use of a mobile phone flashlight and Bengal lights by the occupants during the night was critical in allowing rescue helicopters to locate the life-raft in near-total darkness.
- The instructor sustained an injury to her eyebrow and neck pain during the impact, while the two student pilots remained uninjured.