What happened
On 28 September 2019, a Dyn'Aero MCR04S, registration F-PDTA, was performing a private cross-country flight from Etrepagny to Les Mureaux. At approximately 16:45, the aircraft entered the Pontoise controlled airspace (CTR) without establishing radio contact with air traffic control. The controller observed the aircraft at an altitude estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 feet using binoculars.
Shortly after entering the zone, witnesses reported hearing an unusual noise coming from the engine. Following this sound, the aircraft entered a steep, vertical, nose-down attitude and struck the ground in a field in Longuesse. The impact was followed by a significant fire that destroyed the aircraft. The pilot was fatally injured.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, maintenance records, and witness statements. The aircraft, which was a kit-built model owned by the pilot, had been recently serviced at a workshop in Les Mureaux, and no maintenance irregularities were identified. Investigators also noted that the aircraft was equipped with a pyrotechnically-activated emergency parachute, though no evidence of parachute deployment was found at the crash site.
Witness accounts varied slightly regarding the presence of smoke prior to impact, but there was a consensus regarding the sudden change in flight attitude and the audible engine anomaly. An electronic tablet was recovered near the wreckage, but its contents were unrecoverable due to damage.