What happened
On the afternoon of the incident, a single-engine aircraft departed from Lézignan-Corbières Airport carrying the pilot and a group of skydivers. The flight proceeded normally until reaching an altitude of 10,500 feet, at which point all passengers exited the aircraft for their jump. Following the jump, the pilot began a descent to return to the airfield.
During the final approach to runway 08, the aircraft was flying at 90 knots and an altitude of approximately 700 feet. In an effort to maintain the necessary glide slope, the pilot briefly increased engine power before reducing it once more. At that moment, the engine ceased operation and the propeller transitioned to an auto-feathered state.
Realizing the runway was no longer reachable, the pilot performed an emergency landing in a vineyard situated roughly 800 meters before the threshold of runway 08, positioned to the right of the extended centerline. The impact resulted in the aircraft being destroyed, though the pilot escaped the crash without injuries.
Findings
- The engine experienced a complete loss of power during the final approach phase.
- The propeller auto-feathered immediately following the engine failure.