Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-46-350P accident near Cannes, Fr, August 31, 2015
On August 31, 2015 at about 6:55 am local time, a Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-46-350P, registered DESPE, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Cannes. 2 people had minor injuries.
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
- August 31, 2015 · about 6:55 am local time
- Place
- Cannes, France · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- DESPE · no longer on the register · serial 46-22063
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 31, 2015, about 0655 coordinated universal time, a Piper PA-46-350P airplane, D-ESPE, landed in the bay near Cannes, France, following a loss of engine power after takeoff from the Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (LFMD), Cannes, France. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the French government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the French government. 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 takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine:; 0 hours total
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.