What happened
On November 6, 2005, a Robin DR 400-180, registered F-GGXG, departed from Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole for a flight to Auxerre. While climbing through 1,700 feet, the pilot noticed a drop in engine RPM, followed shortly by a total loss of engine power. After unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot notified the departure airfield controller and initiated a turn to find a suitable landing site.
Noticing the Chavenay aerodrome in the distance, the pilot directed the aircraft toward that location. After receiving landing priority from the Chavenay tower, the pilot performed a turn to approach into the wind and executed an emergency landing in a field parallel to runway 23. The aircraft came to a stop at the intersection of the two runways. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's electrical, air, and fuel systems, finding no mechanical failures or malfunctions. However, the exhaust showed whitish traces, which indicated the combustion of a lean fuel mixture.
During the inquiry, the pilot confirmed that carburetor heat tests had been performed prior to takeoff. However, the pilot did not activate the carburetor heat once the engine power began to decrease during the climb. The pilot also noted that they prioritized maneuvering away from densely populated areas over continuing attempts to restart the engine.
Findings
- The investigation established that the engine failure was caused by carburetor icing.
- Meteorological conditions at the time were highly conducive to severe carburetor icing, regardless of the power setting used.
- The pilot failed to apply carburetor heat immediately upon noticing the engine power fluctuations.