History of the Flight
On November 18, 2021, at 08:13 UTC, a Cessna 152 aircraft, registration CS-EDT, departed from Vilar da Luz aerodrome (LPVL) for an instructional flight with an instructor and a student pilot on board. After performing training maneuvers in a dedicated area, the instructor decided to return to the aerodrome due to a turbulent atmosphere that made the lesson objectives unattainable.
While in the aerodrome circuit, at 09:03 UTC, a touch-and-go maneuver was performed on runway 16. During the initial climb on the runway heading at an estimated 1000 feet MSL (about 350 feet AGL), when initiating a right turn into the crosswind, the engine lost all power.
The instructor, who was at the controls, attempted an engine restart without success. Given the low altitude, they determined they would not be able to return to the aerodrome and selected a terrain for a forced landing. The aircraft was configured for landing, but due to high speed on final, the conditions for a safe maneuver were not met, leading the instructor to choose a second location further ahead, allowing energy management by changing the flaps position.
The landing was performed with flaps retracted. The aircraft ran for about 80 meters over soft ground before hitting and being immobilized on a small wall hidden by vegetation.
The cockpit remained intact, allowing the crew to egress the aircraft unharmed. The weather that morning was clear skies, wind from 110° at 8 kt, visibility 10 km or more, temperature 9°C, dewpoint 3°C.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft, a Cessna 152 serial number 152-80125, was manufactured in 1977. It had a valid airworthiness certificate and an airworthiness review certificate valid until August 2022. The aircraft was equipped with a 110 hp, four-cylinder Lycoming O-235-L2C engine, aspirated with a single carburetor fuel induction system. The carburetor was an updraft, venturi float-type, fixed jet carburetor mounted on the bottom of the engine.
Damage and Injuries
No injuries were reported among the two occupants. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Propeller damage was consistent with a stopped engine at impact with the small wall obstacle. In the final collision with the small wall, the nose gear collapsed due to the engine mount rupture. At the same time, the carburetor and its supply system (controls, hoses and filter) were also damaged. The ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) functioned as expected, emitting a valid location signal processed by the Lisboa Rescue Coordination Centre. Law enforcement (GNR) and Santo Tirso firefighters attended the accident site.
Investigation
The GPIAAF was notified at 09:20 UTC and dispatched a team to gather evidence. The occurrence was classified as an accident, and a safety investigation was initiated in accordance with EU Regulation No. 996/2010 and Portuguese Decree-Law No. 318/99. After transferring the wreckage to a hangar, a technical examination was performed on the aircraft and engine main systems. The investigation considered the event to have low complexity and limited extractable safety learnings.