What happened
On September 1, 2008, an Extra 300S, registration N80LA, was participating in an aerial festival near Alcafozes, Portugal. After performing aerobatic maneuvers, the pilot departed Alcafozes and headed toward Santarém. During the flight, the pilot attempted to simulate an engine-out emergency landing in a field within the Tagus River estuary. However, the engine failed to respond to power selections, and the aircraft was forced to land without power in a marshy area approximately 3,250 meters short of the runway at Santarém.
The aircraft slid approximately 27 meters upon impact, resting on its ventral fuselage with the main landing gear displaced. The pilot, the sole occupant, escaped the incident without injury. The aircraft sustained minor damage, including abrasions to the lower fuselage and broken propeller tips.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation focused on the engine's performance and the aircraft's fuel management. Technical examinations of the engine revealed no mechanical defects or abnormalities that would prevent normal operation before or after the incident. The fuel system, including filters and pumps, was found to be in good working order.
Investigators noted that the aircraft had been refueled prior to the flight, with the central and acrobatic tanks filled, but there was no clear record of the fuel levels in the wing tanks. While the pilot claimed to have sufficient fuel in the wing tanks, investigators found the aircraft's fuel tanks to be empty upon inspection. The investigation reconstructed the flight profile using radar and radio communications, estimating that the fuel consumption during the flight—including an unexpected five-minute hold before the aerobatic display—depleted the available fuel.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel starvation.
- The pilot's fuel management and miscalculation of required reserves contributed to the incident, as the remaining fuel was insufficient to reach the destination.
- An unplanned five-minute holding period prior to the aerobatic performance increased fuel consumption beyond the original flight plan.
- The pilot failed to utilize available aerodromes en route for emergency landing or refueling.
- The aircraft's fuel tanks were found empty at the time of the investigation.