What happened
On November 2, 2001, a Robin DR 40 and 160, registration F-GKIM, was performing a local flight near the Romorantin airfield. While descending from 3,000 feet to 700 feet at a speed of 160 km/h, the pilot attempted to increase engine power. However, the engine power decreased instead of increasing.
At the time, the pilot noted that the carburetor heat lever was not fully extended and the carburetor temperature gauge was in the yellow range, suggesting potential icing. The pilot fully extended the carburetor heat lever to mitigate icing, but the engine power remained insufficient to maintain level flight. Consequently, the pilot performed an emergency landing in a short field bordered by trees. During the landing roll, the nose gear and the right main landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to slide on the grass and come to rest on its nose. The aircraft sustained damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and propeller.
The investigation
Investigators examined the fuel levels following the accident and discovered that the right fuel tank was empty. The central tank contained 50 liters, and the left tank contained 20 liters. The fuel selector was set to the right tank position.
The investigation established that the pilot had intended to switch fuel tanks during the flight but failed to do so after altering the flight pattern. Although the pilot had experience flying multi-tank aircraft, the low fuel warning light had not been observed. Furthermore, the investigation reviewed the pilot's troubleshooting procedures during the engine power loss. While the pilot focused on carburetor icing, the investigation highlighted that standard emergency procedures for engine issues include switching to an alternative fuel tank, verifying the mixture is at full rich, activating the fuel pump, and ensuring both magnetos are selected.