What happened
On May 11, 2019, a Stolp Starduster TOO SA-300, registration G-BRVB, departed from the Lillo airfield in Toledo, Spain, for a local flight. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. Shortly after reaching a safe altitude and initiating a turn into the crosswind leg, the engine stopped.
The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. Realizing the aircraft could not return to the Lillo runway, the pilot opted for an emergency landing in a nearby agricultural field. The pilot selected a suitable plot of land, approached into the wind, and performed a smooth touchdown. After the aircraft had rolled approximately 200 meters, the pilot applied the brakes to avoid a ditch at the edge of the field. This braking action, combined with the soft ground, caused the tail to lift and the nose to dig into the earth, resulting in the aircraft flipping and coming to rest in an inverted position. Both occupants were uninjured and able to exit the aircraft on their own.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the engine failure and the subsequent loss of control during the landing roll. Investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system and found that the pilot had mistakenly left the fuel selector valve set to the wing tank, which was nearly empty, rather than the main fuselage tank, which was full. This error was attributed to the pilot's recent experience with the aircraft during a ferry flight from Germany, where he had habitually used the wing tank first.
Furthermore, the investigation looked into the lack of standardized operating procedures. Because the aircraft was a homebuilt model, it lacked a formal flight manual or standardized checklists. The investigation also evaluated the terrain, noting that the small dimensions of the chosen landing site left little margin for error during the braking maneuver.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the application of brakes during the final part of the landing roll, which induced the nose-over.
- An incorrect fuel tank selection led to the engine failure.
- The absence of a flight manual or established operating procedures contributed to the pilot's failure to follow a specific restart sequence.
- The limited size of the landing area restricted the pilot's ability to maneuver without hitting the ditch.