Flight Sequence
On 7 May 2016, around 15:25 local time, a Robin DR400-180 (registration F-GLDM) operated by a flying club departed from Saint-Cyr-l'École aerodrome for a local flight with a pilot and one passenger. Before takeoff, while taxiing to the runway holding point, the pilot noticed the oil pressure gauge needle was in the yellow arc and returned to the parking area. An instructor with whom the pilot had previously flown advised that the needle would return to the green arc after takeoff due to relative wind. The pilot then taxied back and departed Runway 11R at about 15:00. After takeoff, the oil pressure needle gradually moved into the green arc.
During cruise, upon reaching a turning point north of Montfort-l'Amaury, the pilot performed a turning point checklist and set heading 325° toward the Seine River. At approximately 16 NM from the departure aerodrome, the oil pressure gauge needle again entered the yellow arc. The pilot decided to return to Saint-Cyr-l'École and observed that one or two red warning lights were illuminated. Shortly thereafter, the engine suddenly lost all power.
Forced Landing and Ground Roll
The pilot prepared for a forced landing in a field near the Buisson-Défleuri ultralight strip. He landed in the field and rolled about 170 meters while braking moderately. While crossing a dirt path, the nose landing gear separated, and the airplane came to rest on its nose. The pilot switched off the battery and alternator, opened the canopy, and evacuated with the passenger. He did not turn off the emergency locator transmitter so it would continue to broadcast the aircraft's position.
Pilot Observations
The pilot, aged 41, held a private pilot license issued November 2015 and had logged about 93 flight hours, including 6 on the DR400-180. He had flown 10 hours in the previous 30 days, with 3 hours on type. During preflight, he added 70 liters of fuel to the three tanks and selected the least-full tank for takeoff as per the club checklist. In flight, strong sunlight on the instrument panel prevented him from noticing when the red warning lights appeared. He stated that after the event, he and the club's chief pilot analyzed the incident and concluded that he likely mispositioned the fuel selector to the "OFF" position instead of the "rear" tank during the turning point checklist. He believed his focus on the oil pressure gauge may have overshadowed troubleshooting the power loss. He also noted that a paint chip was visible on the fuel selector handle, which may have caused visual confusion.
Chief Pilot Observations
Upon arriving at the accident site, the chief pilot found the fuel selector in the "OFF" position. The pilot stated he did not recall changing the selector after the accident. The chief pilot examined the engine drain and found no fuel. He attempted to replicate on the ground a selection of the fuel selector to "OFF". In that configuration, the low-fuel warning light began flashing, then within 30 seconds both the low-fuel and low-fuel-pressure warning lights illuminated, followed by engine stoppage. This sequence matched the pilot's description.
Conclusion
The accident was the consequence of an engine stoppage very likely caused by unintentional fuel supply cutoff by the pilot. The ergonomics of the fuel selector and the presence of a paint chip may have contributed to the positioning error. The red warning lights, rendered less visible by sunlight, were not detected soon enough to prevent the engine stoppage. The pilot's attention to the oil pressure gauge may have led him to not consider other issues and to proceed with an emergency landing without conducting a failure search.