Accident Details
The accident involved a single-engine aircraft that departed Cannes-Mandelieu Airport on a private flight to Triengen, Switzerland. The aircraft carried one pilot and one passenger. Shortly after takeoff from runway 17, during initial climb, the pilot observed engine troubles and a decrease in speed.
Pilot Actions
The pilot managed to maintain a straight-in path and ditched the aircraft a few hundred metres offshore. Both occupants sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the engine failure resulted from an incorrect refueling. The initial fuel order was probably incorrect, and the incomplete application of procedures by the operator in charge of refueling, combined with a lack of attention from the pilot, prevented recovery. The quantity of 100LL fuel present in the feeders and pipes allowed taxiing and takeoff without the pilot noticing any anomaly. Once that 100LL was consumed, the JET A1 fuel in the lower part of the tanks fed the engine, causing power loss.
Contributing factors included:
- Coordination between the aerodrome operator and subcontractors during the fuel order, which did not encourage confirmation of fuel type under time constraints.
- A practice of refueling certain helicopters with incompatible filler ports, normalizing nozzle changes for JET A1 and occasionally leading to incorrect order confirmation vouchers, reducing the effectiveness of keying devices.
- Ineffectiveness of the fuel type check item in the pre-flight procedure.