History of the Flight
On 13 January 2008, a Cessna TU206G aircraft, registration G-BYIC, was scheduled for parachute jumping flights from Santa Cilia aerodrome (Huesca). During the second flight of the day, which took off at 11:04 local time, approximately 12 minutes after takeoff, the pilot and the five occupants (three parachuting instructors and two passengers) heard a loud noise and observed the windshield covered with oil. The engine power immediately decreased until it stopped. The pilot notified the aerodrome of the engine failure and stated he would ask the parachutists to jump, as there was insufficient time to return to the airport. The aircraft was at 2,500 ft above the takeoff point (2,250 ft MSL), west of Jaca. After the parachutists jumped, the pilot reported this by radio.
The aircraft landed in a muddy area west of Abay, near Jaca. The nose gear detached during landing, leaving the aircraft resting on the propeller blades, bottom engine cowl, and main gear. The final coordinates were 42°34’18.6”N 000°37’14.16”W. Emergency services arrived approximately 15 minutes later.
Aircraft and Engine Information
The aircraft, a Cessna TU206G Turbo Stationair, had a total of 3,419:32 flight hours. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520M7B engine (serial number 825657), a fuel-injected, turbocharged reciprocating engine with six cylinders. The engine was installed on the aircraft in February 2004 with zero hours and had accumulated 657 hours at the time of the accident. Maintenance was performed accordance with a light aircraft maintenance program approved by the CAA. The engine had undergone several unscheduled repairs, including fuel system checks, cylinder replacements, and oil loss inspections.
Wreckage and Inspection
The aircraft came to rest after traveling 177 m on the ground, ending with a 180° right turn. The nose gear broke 113 m into the landing run, after which two propeller blades contacted the ground. The left wing tip touched down 145 m into the run, breaking its leading edge. A connecting rod from the no. 4 cylinder and its piston pin were found along the landing path. The connecting rod had fractured at the yoke arm junction, and impact marks indicated contact with the crankshaft. A 10 cm × 10 cm hole was noted at the top left of the crankcase near the no. 4 cylinder. The engine was difficult but not impossible to turn. There was sufficient fuel with no contamination. Approximately 8.5 liters of oil (out of 11 L capacity) remained in the engine.
Inspection of the engine revealed that zinc chromate primer on the fixed metal part of the baffles showed friction wear on the right side (cylinders 1, 3, and 5), but not on the left side (cylinders 2, 4, and 6). No other significant structural damage was observed.
Injuries
The pilot and three occupants (one instructor carrying a video camera and two individuals making a tandem jump) were uninjured. The members of the other tandem team (one instructor and one passenger) fell into rough, rocky terrain and were seriously injured.