What happened
On November 25, 2000, a pilot was conducting a local flight departing from a private airfield in Saint-Romain, France. While returning to the airfield, the pilot entered the base leg of the landing pattern after having already overflown the runway. During this maneuver, the pilot noticed the engine began to misfire.
In an attempt to rectify the issue, the pilot activated the carburetor heat. However, this action caused the engine to stop completely. Realizing that the aircraft could no longer reach the runway, the pilot opted to perform an emergency landing in a nearby field known to the pilot. Due to the excessive altitude at the time of the decision, the aircraft touched down at the far end of the field and came to a halt in a second row of tall vines. The wires used to support the vines caught the aircraft, which significantly hindered the pilot's ability to evacuate the cockpit.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the engine failure and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators examined the weather data, noting a temperature of 6°C and a dew point of 3°C, which indicated conditions highly conducive to icing. The engine, a Continental O-200 A, was inspected, and it was noted that the engine restarted without difficulty following the impact.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was carburetor icing.
- The pilot failed to use the carburetor heat proactively to prevent ice buildup.
- The aircraft, a Croses LC 6 amateur-built plane, sustained damage to the propeller, engine cowling, landing gear, and struts.