What happened
On November 7, 2018, at 12:12 UTC, a STRATON MOBY DICK motor glider departed from an improvised airfield located near Jasionka Airport. The flight plan specified a takeoff from this unplanned location with a landing intended for the grass runway 08L at EPRJ Jasionka, a distance of approximately 1,700 meters.
Following takeoff, the pilot entered a climb and initiated a 90-degree right turn. While maintaining an altitude of approximately 100 meters, the engine ceased operation. The pilot notified Jasionka Tower (TWR EPRZ) of the emergency and subsequently performed a landing on the south side of runway 09. Following the incident, air traffic control suspended departures from runway 09/27 to allow airport services to assist the aircraft. The motor glider was eventually towed to its permanent parking stand after the crew was unable to restart the engine.
The investigation
The investigation examined the fuel consumption and pre-flight procedures of the aircraft. It was determined that the aircraft, equipped with a ROTAX 503 engine, has a fuel consumption rate of approximately 13-15 liters per hour. Records showed that 20 liters of fuel had been loaded into the tank the previous day.
On the day of the incident, the engine had already operated for approximately one hour on the existing fuel supply during ground activities, including engine warming, start attempts, and taxiing. The flight itself lasted 50 minutes. Upon inspection of the aircraft at the parking stand, investigators found that the fuel tank was empty.
Findings
- The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion.
- The pilot did not perform a complete pre-flight checklist, specifically failing to verify the remaining fuel quantity before departure.
- The fuel remaining from the previous day's refueling was insufficient to cover the ground operations and the intended flight duration.