What happened
On Friday, June 16, 2000, at approximately 18:15, a C.A.L. Aviation Fascination D4 ultralight, registration D-MSHO, was performing a local flight near the Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole airfield. The flight, which was part of a commercial demonstration, involved the pilot showing the aircraft's performance capabilities to a passenger. Following a series of touch-and-go maneuvers on runway 12 L, the pilot attempted a subsequent takeoff.
Shortly after departing, while flying at a low altitude over the end of the runway, the pilot experienced a significant loss of engine power. Due to obstacles in the immediate vicinity, an aligned landing on the runway was not possible. The pilot initially turned right to attempt an emergency landing in a nearby field, but found the area occupied by agricultural machinery. Although engine power briefly increased, prompting a turn left toward runway 30 R, a second drop in engine RPM occurred. The pilot ceased the turn to prepare for a forced landing in a field. Just meters above the ground, the aircraft stalled and impacted the terrain. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that destroyed the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the engine and the fuel system. While the engine was found to be rotating freely during examination, the fuel system was entirely destroyed by the post-crash fire, preventing a direct inspection of the lines or components.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained one injury to a passenger and was destroyed by fire.
- The primary cause of the engine power loss was determined to be a fuel delivery failure.