Accident Overview
A twin-engine aircraft departed Tel Aviv on a flight to Toussus-le-Noble with an intermediate stop in Corfu. On board were two passengers and one pilot. While on approach at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the aircraft's speed and height dropped. It subsequently entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded area located in Dampierre-en-Yvelines, approximately 10 kilometers from the threshold of runway 07L. All three occupants were killed in the accident.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the loss of control was probably the consequence of rapid icing of the airframe that was insufficiently or belatedly taken into account by the pilot. In addition, two factors may have contributed to the accident: the pilot's fatigue from a flight period of 8 hours and 30 minutes in a single-pilot configuration, and the high workload imposed by a VOR-DME approach in that configuration.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as stated by the official investigation, is the loss of control likely resulting from rapid ice accumulation on the airframe, which the pilot did not adequately or promptly address. Contributing factors include pilot fatigue due to the extended single-pilot duty period and the demanding nature of the instrument approach procedure.