Flames on final in Beauvechain – The 59-EAR incident

The morning of June 15, 2025, dawned clear and calm over central Belgium—ideal flying weather. At 09:22, the Dallach Fascination D4, registration 59-EAR, lifted off from a small aerodrome, Goetsenhoven/Tienen (EBTN), its slender wings cutting clean through the summer air. The solo pilot, an experienced amateur aviator, had planned a short flight over the countryside to Moorsele (EBMO) before returning for coffee and routine maintenance.

But just nine minutes later, serenity gave way to urgency.

At 1,500 feet in level flight, the pilot noticed a sharp, chemical odour—distinct and unfamiliar. He scanned the instrument panel. Nothing out of the ordinary. But seconds later, the engine stuttered. Then coughed. Then lost power. The throttle offered no response. From the right side of the cowling, white smoke began to curl into the wind.

The D4 was losing altitude. Quickly.

Instinct took over. Knowing he was near the Beauvechain military airbase (EBBE), the pilot reached for the emergency frequency—EBTN Goetsenhoven—and declared a distress call. Spotting the long, empty parallel runway 04R, he committed an emergency landing on military soil.

Descending in a shallow glide, the aircraft approached the runway with power still partially engaged—the pilot had not shut off the fuel valves in the rush to land. The wheels touched down smoothly, skimming the tarmac in what seemed at first a textbook forced landing.

But then: flames

The white smoke turned black as fire erupted from the engine cowling, fed by the open fuel lines. Within moments, flames licked at the fuselage, dancing beneath the cockpit. The pilot scrambled out unharmed, running clear as ground crews rushed toward the burning aircraft.

The Dallach Fascination was lost to the fire. But the pilot survived. The French BEA has opened an investigation into the incident.

An accident caused not by a violent crash, but by a silent failure at altitude—a reminder of the fragility in even the calmest skies.

Note: The aircraft registration “59-EAR” indicates that the aircraft is registered in France. The “59” refers to the department number, while the “EAR” is the individual registration mark within that department. This type of registration is used outside the standard ICAO registry system.