Background
The aircraft involved was a Morane-Saulnier MS-893A Rallye Commodore 180, registration CS-AJB, operated by Aeroplano, Lda. The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License with SEP and A320 ratings, and had a total of 602 flight hours, of which 259 were in banner towing operations.
Flight History
On the morning of the accident, the pilot flew two banner towing missions totaling 2 hours 20 minutes from Portimão aerodrome (LPPM). After refueling with 60 liters of AVGAS 100LL, the pilot later added 129.5 liters equally distributed between the left and right wing tanks for the afternoon flight. The mission was to tow an advertising banner east along the Algarve coast to Punta Umbria, Spain, and return to Portimão, with an estimated duration of 3 hours 30 minutes.
Accident Sequence
At 2 hours 50 minutes into the flight, while at approximately 900 feet over Benfarras-Boliqueime, the engine lost power, with RPM dropping to 1500. The pilot attempted recovery by setting the mixture to rich and applying maximum power, which briefly restored RPM before another failure. Recognizing the engine failure as irreversible, the pilot cut the mixture, released the banner over an obstacle-free area near a railway, and selected a 40-meter-long clearing for an emergency landing. The aircraft touched down and came to a stop within the last 20 meters after colliding with a medium-sized tree.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot exited the aircraft by herself and sustained no injuries. The aircraft suffered significant damage and was classified as destroyed. Both semi-wings, the main landing gear, and the engine mount were deformed; the nose gear collapsed; and one propeller blade was bent without evidence of rotation during impact. Approximately 60 liters of AVGAS 100LL were recovered from the right fuel tank, while the left tank was empty.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the engine failure resulted from fuel mismanagement, as the left tank was depleted while the right tank still contained usable fuel. No other contributing factors were identified.