Emergency Landing of Piper PA-28-181 Archer II EC-ISJ in Les Borges Blanques

Incident Overview and Flight Details On Saturday, May 8, 2004, at 10:50 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 Archer II with registration EC-ISJ made an emergency landing in a field near Les Borges Blanques, Lleida. The aircraft, powered by a single Lycoming O-360A4M engine, had departed Reus Airport at 10:20 local time for Albatarrech Aerodrome. The flight was a general aviation instruction flight with dual command, carrying an instructor, two students, and one passenger. ## Sequence of Events During the flight, the instructor observed a drop in engine revolutions at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The pilot attempted to resolve the issue by enriching the mixture, switching fuel tanks, activating the electric fuel pump, and turning on the carburetor heat. When the propeller stopped, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing in a nearby field approximately 10 nautical miles from the destination aerodrome. The pilot maintained maximum glide speed with flaps fully deployed. The emergency was communicated on 123.5 MHz. ## Impact and Damage At the end of the landing roll, the aircraft impacted a slope, resulting in significant damage. The lower fuselage sustained heavy damage, the nose gear broke, and both wings were deformed. The engine mount was deformed to the right, and the propeller hub broke, with one blade slightly bent. ## Occupants and Survival All four occupants were uninjured and exited the aircraft under their own power. The single door on the right side became stuck due to the wing deformation, requiring the occupants to force it open to exit. ## Investigation and Findings Post-accident inspections of the engine and fuel systems revealed no anomalies. The carburetor functioned correctly with clean fuel inside, and fuel lines, filters, and the electric fuel pump were in good condition. The magnetos and spark plugs were also in good working order. The investigation analyzed hypotheses for the power loss, including engine failure and carburetor icing, noting that carburetor icing can occur in various weather conditions and is more dangerous in clear weather due to lack of warning.