What happened
On November 24, 2001, a Beechcraft 200, registration F-GDLE, was conducting a flight proficiency check near the Moulins-Montbeugny aerodrome. The flight was intended to extend the pilot's IFR and type ratings, with an experienced examiner on board and two passengers.
Following a series of takeoff and landing maneuvers, the aircraft entered a simulated engine failure exercise. During the climb, the aircraft reached a radar altitude of approximately 2,600 feet. Witnesses observed the aircraft oscillating and then suddenly pitching downward at a steep angle. The aircraft struck the ground in a wooded area approximately 7 kilometers north of the runway, where an intense fire destroyed the wreckage. All four fatalities (the pilot, the examiner, and two passengers) were killed in the impact and subsequent fire.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's configuration and the actions of the crew during the engine failure simulation. Investigators examined the wreckage and found the aircraft in a "clean" configuration, with the landing gear and flaps retracted.
Analysis of the engine control unit revealed that the power lever for the right engine was positioned in the beta sector. This specific setting is intended for ground operations and is not meant for use during flight. The investigation also reviewed radar data, which showed the aircraft accelerating toward its best single-engine climb speed (Vyse) before a rapid loss of airspeed and altitude. Witnesses near the site reported hearing a sudden change in engine RPM and observing the aircraft banking sharply before the dive.
Findings
- The flight was a legitimate proficiency check, and the crew was properly qualified.
- The aircraft was in a clean configuration (gear and flaps up) at the time of impact.
- Both engines were rotating at the time of the crash.
- The right engine power lever was in the beta sector, which can create significant aerodynamic drag and lead to asymmetric thrust.
- The loss of control may have been triggered by a deliberate or reflexive movement of the right power lever into the beta range during the engine failure exercise, or by a loss of control near VmcA (minimum controllable airspeed) during a maneuver.