Serious incident to the Vulcanair / Partenavia P68 registered F-HVEY on 10/04/2018 at Orléans (Loiret)

The pilot took off under VFR from Châteauroux-Déols (Indre) aerodrome bound for Pontoise Cormeilles-en-Vexin (Val-D'Oise) aerodrome, where the aircraft was based. The aircraft had undergone a scheduled fifty-hour periodic technical inspection at the workshops of the maintenance company located at Châteauroux.

While cruising at 2,000 ft, and after turning on the heater, the pilot reported that he experienced nausea, headaches and stomach pains. He noted that the colour of the carbon monoxide (CO) detection disc installed in the cockpit was midnight blue. He turned off the heating, opened the small lateral windows to take in as much outside air as possible and then diverted to the aerodrome at Orléans-Bricy Air Base 123, which was close to his position at that time. After a normal landing, the pilot was taken to the regional hospital where he was placed on oxygen and monitored for two hours.

Carbon monoxide contamination of the cabin in flight is primarily due to interference in the airflow between the left engine exhaust flow and its potential conveyance into the cabin through the wing.