Synopsis
On 19 December 2014, a Cessna 172F, registration CS-AKH, operated privately, was involved in an accident near Pombal, Portugal. The occurrence was classified as an accident due to a system/component failure or malfunction of the power plant, specifically an engine lubrication system failure. The aircraft was performing a flight from Coimbra to Santarém with two pilots and one passenger on board.
Factual Occurrence Description
The Cessna 172 had earlier flown from Santarém to Coimbra to retrieve a pilot who had positioned a Cessna 182 there. After landing at Coimbra, the Cessna 172 took off at 16:40 UTC without stopping the engine, with the Coimbra pilot now aboard and a passenger moved to the back seat. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, abnormal engine behavior was observed, followed by strange noises, severe vibrations, and a loss of power that reduced engine rotations to about 1500 RPM. The pilot who had boarded in Coimbra took over the controls due to his experience and knowledge of the aircraft. Low engine oil pressure was noted, and an emergency landing was decided at Pombal airfield. However, realizing insufficient energy to reach the airfield, the pilot conducted an emergency landing on agricultural land. The aircraft was configured with full flaps, low airspeed, and the engine stopped. It touched down violently, dissipating energy over approximately 10 meters, and came to rest inverted.
Injuries and Damage
Both pilots and the passenger evacuated the aircraft by themselves with minor injuries. According to the official report, one crew member and the passenger sustained minor injuries, while the other crew member had no injuries. They were transported to Leiria-Pombal hospital as a precaution and were discharged a few hours later. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the nose gear, powerplant, and primary structure, including deformations of the fuselage and wings. The propeller showed damage on only one blade, consistent with the engine not rotating at impact. Soil contamination occurred due to oil traces found on the lower fuselage.
Investigation
The former GPIAA (now GPAI) investigated the accident. The pilot in command during the emergency was 35 years old, held a CPL(A) license with single-engine land qualifications, and had 1,250 total flight hours, with 16 in the previous 90 days. His license and medical certificate were valid. No evidence of fatigue, medication, alcohol, or drugs was found. The investigation concluded that the engine lubrication system failure led to the emergency landing.