What happened
On April 6, 2018, a Robin DR400-160, registration F-GCUI, departed from the Avallon aerodrome for a local flight. The aircraft was operated by the Aéroclub de l’Avallonais and was carrying a pilot and three passengers. Shortly after takeoff from runway 04, the pilot experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of engine power accompanied by an unusual noise.
As the aircraft began to lose altitude, the pilot attempted to maintain full throttle to regain height. To avoid industrial buildings located ahead of the aircraft, the pilot executed a left turn with the intention of performing an emergency landing in a nearby field. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck the top of a tree before colliding with the ground. The impact resulted in the destruction of the aircraft and left the pilot and three passengers seriously injured.