Accident Overview
On 4 July 2012, at approximately 16:51 local time, a Piper Aircraft PA-34-220T Seneca III, registered D-GABE, operated by Pixair Survey, was involved in an accident during a forced landing in Franqueville-Saint-Pierre, France. The aircraft was destroyed, and the sole pilot sustained minor injuries.
Flight Conduct
The pilot was performing an instrument flight rules (IFR) mission to relay radio data for the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race. The flight departed from Le Touquet – Paris Plage aerodrome around 10:15. After about 6 hours 15 minutes of flight, the mission ended, and the pilot proceeded to Rouen – Vallée de Seine aerodrome.
During the final approach for runway 22, the right engine lost power. The pilot initiated a go-around, but the left engine also stopped. During the forced landing, the aircraft collided with a tree in a private garden approximately 600 meters from the runway threshold.
Fuel System and Pilot Actions
The PA-34-220T is equipped with two wing tanks holding a total of 128 US gallons (123 usable). Standard operation uses each tank to feed the engine on the same side. The pilot had selected the left engine fuel selector to the "CROSS FEED" position before the approach, allowing the right tank to feed both engines for better balance. Subsequently, the pilot forgot this change. The right tank was found empty after the accident; the left tank contained about 13 US gallons. The engines stopped due to exhaustion of the right tank. The pilot did not have time to analyze the failure or select a suitable landing area.
Pilot Information
The 26-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot license (CPL(A)) since September 2011 and was employed by Pixair Survey since October 2011. He had approximately 580 flight hours total, including 423 on multi-engine aircraft and about 30 hours on the PA-34 (including the accident flight), all on D-GABE. His first flight in the PA-34 occurred on 29 June 2012, a 35-minute dual flight for turbocharged engine differences. He then flew the aircraft solo for mission positioning. The pilot had flown three prior stages of the race on 1–3 July, each lasting 7h30, 7h05, and 6h05 respectively.
Operational Context
The operator was conducting a radio relay mission for the first time, with limited preparation and pilot training. Such missions required flight durations near the aircraft's maximum endurance, reducing safety margins. Actual average fuel consumption during the accident flight exceeded the company's planned consumption, further decreasing the margin.
Oversight
The Direction de la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (DSAC) conducted oversight of the operator in accordance with regulations. However, the investigation indicated that this oversight could not assess the safety level of the missions. After the first stage of the race, the pilot had landed with only 3 US gallons of usable fuel, a near fuel exhaustion that might have warned the operator about safety issues.
Conclusion
The accident resulted from the right tank being depleted after the pilot forgot he had switched the left engine's fuel supply to crossfeed. The reduced safety margin from long flights and higher-than-expected fuel consumption prevented the pilot from having sufficient time to analyze the failure and execute an appropriate forced landing.