What happened
On December 1, 2017, a Piper Seneca PA-34, registration VT-BCA, was conducting a cross-country training flight from Surat to Dhule when it was forced to perform an emergency landing near Datarti village. The aircraft, operated by The Bombay Flying Club, was carrying two crew members and four student pilots.
During the flight, the aircraft encountered significant weather disturbances approximately 50 miles from Surat. To avoid the clouds, the crew performed several maneuvers, including left and right deviations and climbs. These maneuvers required the engines to run at a rich mixture setting for an extended period, significantly increasing fuel consumption.
As the aircraft approached Dhule, the crew realized they were low on fuel and attempted to optimize consumption by leaning the mixture. While on approach for a straight-in landing, the left engine failed, and the crew successfully feathered it. However, shortly thereafter, the right engine also lost power. The pilot managed to steer the aircraft away from a well-lit residential area, but the aircraft struck an electric wire and impacted the ground on its belly, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and propellers.
The investigation
The AAIB India investigation focused on the fuel management and the circumstances leading to the engine flameouts. Investigators examined the fuel planning, the actual fuel uplifted, and the fuel consumption rates of the aged aircraft. The inquiry also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance records and the flight crew's response to the weather encounter.
Findings
- The aircraft departed Surat with less fuel than was actually required for the mission.
- Erroneous fuel planning occurred because the crew used fuel consumption figures from the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH), which are based on new aircraft performance, rather than the actual consumption rate of the aged airframe.
- The encounter with turbulent weather necessitated a rich mixture setting for a prolonged duration, which accelerated fuel depletion.
- There was no established procedure within the flying club to assess the difference between theoretical POH consumption and the actual consumption of an older aircraft.
- The aircraft's fuel gauges, being analog, were not precise enough to detect the critical low-fuel state before the engines flamed out.