Piper PA 28 accident near Montpellier, Fr, September 16, 2011
On September 16, 2011, a Piper PA 28, registered FHMAT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Montpellier. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2011
- Place
- Montpellier, France
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28 · all PA 28s on the register
- Registration
- FHMAT · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 16, 2011, a Piper PA 28, French resistered F-HMAT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Montpellier, France. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No one was injured. The French investigators received reports that the engine lost all power. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the French government. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the French government or Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses Zone Sud 200 rue de Paris Aêroport du Bourget 93350 Le Bourget Cedex France
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Other authority investigated
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.