What happened
On April 30, 2008, at approximately 14:30 UTC, a TL-96 Star ultralight aircraft, registration EC-D08, departed from the Cerval airstrip in Vila Nova de Cerveira as part of a leisure flight participating in an ultralight air tour of Portugal. The flight was bound for Lagos.
While cruising at 1,000 feet over the Atlantic coastline, the engine suffered a total loss of power. The pilot was forced to perform an emergency landing on a beach near S. Pedro de Muel. The aircraft landed north-to-south, parallel to the shoreline and approximately 50 meters from the water. The landing occurred during low tide. The aircraft came to a stop within a few meters, resulting in minor injuries to the nose gear due to the unprepared terrain. The pilot and the passenger were able to exit the aircraft on their own and were uninjured.
The investigation
The GPIAAF examined the wreckage and the aircraft's fuel system. Technical inspections conducted by Avieuropa revealed that the fuel pump's electric filter was saturated with impurities, which prevented fuel from reaching the mechanical pump. Tests confirmed that there was no water present in the fuel, but the blockage resulted in a lack of fuel in the carburetable.
Additionally, the investigation found that the aircraft had not implemented a manufacturer's technical recommendation issued in 2005. This recommendation was intended to modify the fuel system to include a bypass circuit to ensure engine operation even if the electric pump filter becomes clogged.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel starvation in the carburetors caused by a clogged electric fuel pump filter.
- A contributing factor was the failure to comply with the manufacturer's Technical Recommendation No. 4. S.S.T. 2005, which would have provided a bypass to mitigate such an obstruction.
- The pilot was properly licensed and the aircraft held a valid certificate of airworthiness.
- Meteorological conditions were clear with light northwesterly winds and did not contribute to the incident.