What happened
On July 1, 2025, a pilot operating under a PPL(A) license was conducting a cross-country flight from Warsaw Babice (EPBC) to Kraków Pobiednik (EPKP) for the purpose of CPL(A) flight training. While performing the approach to landing at the destination aerodrome, the engine of the Aero AT-3 R100, registration SP-GDW, ceased operation. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Due to the available altitude, the pilot was able to complete the landing at the airport without further incident.
Following the landing, a check of the fuel levels revealed that one tank was completely empty, while the second tank contained approximately 12 liters of fuel.
The investigation
The investigation examined the fuel management practices, the aircraft's fuel system, and the pre-flight procedures followed by the operator. The inquiry focused on why the engine failed during the approach and why the fuel imbalance occurred during the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion in the tank supplying the engine, which led to air entering the fuel system and prevented a restart in flight.
- There was improper fuel management during the cross-country flight, specifically a failure to monitor fuel consumption and a failure to switch the fuel selector valve between tanks.
- The aircraft had not been refueled prior to the cross-country flight, which was a violation of the operator's established procedures.
Safety action
- The organization decided to provide the pilot with additional training regarding flight planning and proper fuel management during flight.
- Internal procedures were modified to provide more detailed instructions for checking fuel levels before flight and guidelines for switching tanks and monitoring consumption during flight.
- Instructors were required to conduct additional training for students regarding pre-flight inspections and the proper management of fuel tanks.
- Unscheduled maintenance was performed on the aircraft, including an inspection and maintenance of the fuel system and the calibration of fuel gauges.