Accident Overview
On 13 December 2003, around 16:30 UTC, a Daxiwings Falcon XP B2 ultralight aircraft, registration CS-UKI, departed from runway 19 of Viseu aerodrome for a local training flight with only the pilot on board. Shortly after takeoff, while flying at an estimated altitude of 30 meters above the runway and over the final third of the runway, the engine suddenly stopped. Despite the pilot following the procedures recommended in the aircraft's operating manual, the engine did not restart.
Sequence of Events
Due to the low altitude and limited remaining runway, the pilot could not return to the runway. He used the terrain depression beyond the southern runway end and selected an area for an emergency landing. The pilot glided the aircraft toward a field along a watercourse, which appeared suitable for landing. However, the aircraft touched down a few meters short of that field in a small eucalyptus plantation. The trees, though small, absorbed much of the impact force. The aircraft came to rest in the plantation.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Daxiwings Falcon XP B2 is a two-seat ultralight with a closed cabin, metal frame, fiberglass fuselage and canard, fabric-wing covering, and a fixed tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Rotax 582 engine producing 48 kW at 6800 rpm, mounted as a pusher. The aircraft's empty mass was estimated at 220 kg, with 28 kg of fuel and an 85 kg pilot, giving a takeoff mass of 333 kg, within the maximum of 392 kg. The center of gravity was calculated to be within limits.
The 46-year-old male pilot held a valid ultralight license (433/UL/1) with a medical certificate valid until 20 January 2005. His total flight experience was 28 hours 45 minutes, with 13 hours 10 minutes on type. The last 90 days prior to the accident accounted for only 2 hours 20 minutes of flying.
Investigation Findings
The investigation was hindered because the aircraft was quickly removed from the accident site. However, photographs and examination at the Aero Club de Viseu hangar confirmed damage to the cabin structure, landing gear, canard, and right wing. The engine was found detached from the aircraft with carburetors disassembled. Visual inspection revealed a seized piston in the cylinder on the reduction gear side, confirmed by resistance to engine rotation. The engine showed signs of poor maintenance, including the use of non-original and uncertified gaskets. No aircraft logbook or maintenance records were available; the engine logbook had been filled in retroactively without supporting documents. The pilot had not filed a flight plan and did not maintain radio contact. The two previous flights he claimed to have made that day were not recorded in the aerodrome's movement log.
Survival Aspects
The pilot was uninjured. The report notes that the use of safety belts, the aircraft's low stall speed, and the small size of the trees contributed to his survival. After the accident, the pilot walked to a nearby road, obtained assistance, and returned to the aerodrome to report the occurrence. No search and rescue actions were initiated because the engine failure was not noticed.