What happened
A private flight operating a single-engine aircraft departed from Cannes-Mandelelieu Airport, bound for Triengen, Switzerland. The flight was carrying two people: the pilot and one passenger.
During the initial climb phase after departing runway 17, the pilot encountered mechanical difficulties with the engine. As the engine performance degraded, the aircraft's airspeed decreased significantly. Despite the loss of power, the pilot managed to keep the aircraft on a straight-in trajectory. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed a controlled ditching in the sea a few hundred meters from the shoreline.
Following the impact with the water, the two occupants sustained slight injuries. The aircraft subsequently sank into the sea and was declared a total loss.
Findings
- The primary factor in the incident was engine trouble occurring during the takeoff and climb phase.