Incident Overview
On Wednesday, 18 February 2009, at 13:22 local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration EC-IYU, operated by Flight Training Europe Jerez, suffered an engine failure during a solo training flight. The aircraft was on a left downwind leg for runway 20 at Jerez Airport (Cádiz) when the engine stopped. The student pilot declared an emergency and executed a forced landing in a field northeast of the airport.
Sequence of Events
The pilot, a 22-year-old student with 15 total flight hours (all on type), had departed Jerez at 13:00 local for touch-and-go practice. On the first downwind leg, he configured the aircraft for landing: selecting the right fuel tank, activating the electric fuel pump, and checking carburetor heat per the Flight Manual. As he was about to turn final, the engine failed. During the glide, he extended flaps to 20° then 40°, closed the fuel selector valve, turned off the electric pump, and cut the mixture. After touchdown, he disconnected the battery.
The landing site crossed the boundary between two fields at different elevations, causing the aircraft to bounce, nose over, and strike the propeller on the ground. The pilot was uninjured and exited the aircraft unaided.
Post-Accident Inspection and Analysis
The aircraft sustained damage to the nose gear, propeller (one blade bent aft), and engine air intake. Post-accident inspection revealed no mechanical damage or malfunction in the engine. However, no fuel was present at the gascolator (filter) located forward of the carburetor. The electric fuel pump (located upstream of the filter) operated correctly. Fuel quantity in the tanks was sufficient, and a sample tested normal for quality. No fuel leaks were found in the system.
The investigation concluded that the engine failure likely occurred because the fuel selector valve was placed in an intermediate position between the left and right tanks during the landing preparation, interrupting fuel flow to the engine. The pilot's actions after the failure were consistent with the Flight Manual procedures.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the engine failure was the fuel selector valve being placed in an intermediate position between the left and right fuel tanks, interrupting fuel flow to the engine.