What happened
On Tuesday, August 17, 1999, at 09:15, a Cessna 206 D Stationair, registered F-BRII, was performing a skydiving mission departing from the La Ferté-Bernard private airfield. Following the completion of parachute jumps, the pilot intended to land at the Le Mans aerodrome.
During the final approach to runway 20, the aircraft's engine ceased operation. The pilot attempted to switch to the right fuel tank; however, the aircraft was at an altitude too low to attempt an engine restart. To avoid a more serious impact, the pilot executed a forced landing in a car park located approximately 500 meters north of the runway threshold. The aircraft reached the ground without sustaining any damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the fuel levels remaining in the aircraft's tanks following the incident. The investigation established that the left fuel tank was completely empty at the time of the engine failure. The right tank contained 40 liters of fuel remaining.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was inappropriate fuel management.
- The left tank had been depleted of all fuel, leading to the loss of engine power during the approach phase.