What happened
On Saturday, October 11, 2003, a Robin DR 400-180, registered F-GFVZ, departed from the Chavenay aerodrome in France. Approximately three minutes after takeoff, the pilot notified air traffic control of an engine problem, immediately followed by a complete engine failure. The pilot subsequently performed an emergency landing in a nearby field. There were no injuries to the four occupants on board, and the aircraft sustained no damage during the landing.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the Lycoming O 360 A3A engine, which had only ten hours of operational time since being installed. Investigators examined the fuel mixture control mechanism and discovered that the sheath surrounding the mixture control cable had slipped within its housing at the location of the stop screw. This movement was traced back to the inadequate tightening of the stop screw.
Findings
- The engine failure was caused by the mixture control cable sheath sliding out of its designated position.
- The stop screw responsible for securing the sheath was not sufficiently tightened.
- While the manufacturer had updated the mounting design for this screw in 1992 to allow for greater flexibility in the mixture control, the installation on this specific engine failed due to improper securing.