Cessna 152 EC-EPJ Accident in La Torre de Esteban Hambrán

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 12 February 2007, a Cessna 152 with registration EC-EPJ, operated by Aerofan, departed from Cuatro Vientos Aerodrome (LECU) at 15:17 local time. The aircraft was conducting a general aviation dual instruction flight with an instructor and a student on board. The planned flight duration was 1.5 hours, with Casarrubios (LEMT) designated as the alternate aerodrome. The aircraft proceeded southwest of the departure field to perform maneuvers. ## Engine Failure and Emergency Landing At approximately 15:55, while at 4,500 feet altitude and executing a 360-degree turn during a 1,000-foot descent, the crew observed intermittent power loss. Fuel indicators initially showed zero, followed by a complete engine stop. The instructor took control, attempted an unsuccessful restart, and directed the aircraft toward a suitable landing site. The aircraft landed in a field known as San Marcos, located near the Camino del Molino in the municipality of La Torre de Esteban Hambrán, Toledo. The terrain had a positive slope of approximately 7.5 degrees and was very soft due to recent rains. ## Accident Sequence and Damage During the landing, the aircraft followed the line of a drainage ditch. The nose wheel struck the ground, causing the aircraft to cartwheel and come to rest inverted. The accident resulted in significant damage to the propeller, landing gear, and engine, with minor damage to the right wingtip and upper tail section. The crew exited the aircraft unassisted and reported the accident via mobile phone. ## Post-Accident Investigation The aircraft approached from the southeast to the northwest (approximately 290 degrees). The final position had the nose at a 110-degree angle relative to north. Ground marks indicated the left main wheel made first contact, followed by the nose wheel and right main wheel. The propeller was found vertical with one blade stuck in the ground, indicating low rotational speed at impact. ## Maintenance and Fuel Findings The Lycoming O-235-L2C engine (serial number L-17853-15) had been installed ten days prior to the accident following an overhaul, with 12:56 hours of operation since installation. During the post-accident inspection, one of the two nuts securing the exhaust of cylinder number 1 was missing. The fuel drain, located below the cockpit, was full of dirt and contained old deposits. The operator reported that all exhaust nuts were installed during the last maintenance check and that the fuel drain had been inspected without deficiencies. ## Fuel Quantity Analysis The aircraft's fuel system supplied the engine simultaneously from two equal tanks with a total capacity of 26 gallons (98.4 liters), of which 24.5 gallons (92.7 liters) were consumable. The average fuel consumption was estimated at 8 gallons per hour (30.3 liters per hour). The engine started around 15:15 local time.