Accident to the Robin DR400 registered F-HOLE on 09/07/2025 at Bessan
Reduction in engine power, forced landing
The reduction in engine power was very probably the result of the pilot making an erroneous action on the fuel selector. Wanting to change the fuel tank selection at the end of the downwind leg, he may, in error, have positioned the selector close to the CLOSED position. As the reduction in power was not instantaneous, the pilot only perceived it when he rejected the descent and asked for
more power.
He then carried out memory actions to process the failure, without success. It is very probable that the pilot did not move the fuel selector while processing the failure.
He then concentrated on the management of his flight path but did not manage to reach the field selected for a forced landing. While flying over a group of trees and then a vineyard field in a northerly direction, parallel and in the immediate vicinity of the field of stubble that he was aiming for, the pilot struck vegetation and lost control of the aeroplane which crashed into the vines.