What happened
On July 25, 2004, at approximately 11:15 local time, a privately owned Mignet « Pou du Ciel » ultralight aircraft, identified as 27-LP, was conducting a local flight near Illiers-l’Evêque, France. The pilot was returning to the Saint-André-de-l'Eure aerodrome when the engine suddenly ceased operation. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing the engine stop and observing the aircraft enter a steep, vertical dive. One witness reported hearing the pilot cry out before the aircraft disappeared from view and struck the ground. At the time of the failure, the aircraft was estimated to be at an altitude between 400 and 500 meters.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the wreckage located in a harvested wheat field. The aircraft struck the ground at a pitch of approximately 60 degrees. Examination of the Volkswagen AS 41 engine and propeller revealed that the engine was not producing power at the moment of impact, though no structural or functional anomalies were found in the engine itself. While the flight controls and lifting surfaces showed no operational defects, investigators did identify gluing defects within the fuselage, which could not entirely rule out a structural failure prior to impact.
Medical examinations confirmed that the pilot remained capable of controlling the aircraft until the final moments of the flight. Because the aircraft lacked an electric starter, the only method for an in-flight restart involved a deliberate dive to increase propeller rotation; however, the investigation concluded that the aircraft's altitude was insufficient to allow for such a maneuver.
Findings
- The engine failure led to a loss of altitude and a subsequent high-angle impact with the ground.
- The 1 fatality was the result of the impact following the engine's loss of power.
- Carburetor icing was considered a possible cause for the engine's sudden shutdown.
- The pilot was unable to perform a restart maneuver due to the lack of sufficient altitude following the initial engine failure.