Accident to the Diamond DA40 registered F-HRPM on 05/03/2021 en route over the Mediterranean Sea

A sudden malfunction, probably in the fuel system, with no prior warning, occurred en route between Corsica and the continent, beyond the gliding distance to reach the coast.

The investigation was not able to determine the cause of the failure of the high-pressure
fuel system.

Despite carrying out the checklists for the alert messages displayed and the checklist for restarting the engine, the engine did not restart. The instructor sent a distress message and carried out an emergency landing on water. The three occupants evacuated the aeroplane and took shelter in the life-raft which was on board the aircraft. The aeroplane rapidly sank.

Despite not manually activating the emergency locator transmitter in flight, locating the occupants was facilitated by:

• the controller immediately activating the DETRESFA phase which enabled ARCC-Lyon to locate the aeroplane and quickly engage search and rescue resources;
• the coordination between the air traffic controller on the frequency and the pilot of another aeroplane situated close to the ditching zone;
• the use of the onboard life-raft which can be detected more easily than one or more persons in the water;
• the use of the Bengal light which proved to be a very effective means for the pilot of F-HNIZ to locate the life-raft by day;
• the use, at night, of the mobile phone flashlight and the second Bengal light which enabled the rescue service pilots to detect the survivors in poor search conditions.

The specific first aid and survival training which two of the three occupants had had probably facilitated making decisions and the management of actions in an unknown and particularly stressful situation.

Furthermore, the passenger did not attach the life-raft to the aeroplane and given that the latter rapidly sank, this action did not hinder its use, and slowed the progression of hypothermia experienced by the three occupants.

The three occupants, suffering from hypothermia, were then hoisted on board a helicopter at night, around two hours after ditching.