What happened
A flight departing from Cannes-Mandelieu Airport for Courtrai-Wevelgem Airport, Belgium, ended in a fatal accident during the cruise phase of flight. The aircraft, a single-engine plane, was carrying one pilot and four passengers at the time of the incident.
While operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at flight level 240, the aircraft began an abrupt descent to the right, dropping to flight level 149. During this period, the aircraft's airspeed increased significantly, triggering the overspeed warning. Approximately 45 seconds after the descent began, the aircraft entered a rapid climb at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute, eventually reaching a stall at flight level 201.
Following the stall, the aircraft entered a dive and transitioned into a flat attitude. As the plane descended through the cloud layer at an altitude estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, the pilot was unable to recover control. Lacking external visual references, the aircraft struck a wooded area. The impact resulted in two fatalities and three injuries. The single-engine aircraft was destroyed upon impact.
Findings
The accident occurred while the aircraft was flying in IMC. The sequence of events involved a sudden descent, an overspeed condition, and a subsequent high-rate climb leading to an aerodynamic stall. The loss of control was exacerbated by the lack of visual references during the descent through the clouds.