What happened
On April 29, 2006, a Piper PA-34-2/20T Seneca III, registration EC-IYY, departed from Robledillo de Mohernando for a private VFR flight to Murcia-San Javier. The aircraft was operated by a private owner and carried four passengers, all of whom were relatives of the pilot.
Shortly before 11:00 h, the pilot contacted the San Javier tower to declare an emergency, stating the aircraft had suffered a failure and that an emergency landing was being attempted in the Cabezo Gordo area. The aircraft struck a loading dock at an industrial warehouse in the San Cayetano industrial estate. The impact caused the aircraft to break apart; the left engine and wing assembly slid across the dock, while the remainder of the fuselage struck a concrete wall and tumbled into a parking area.
The accident resulted in 1 fatality (the pilot) and 2 serious injuries, with one of the injured passengers later passing away from their wounds. Two other passengers sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the mechanical state of the engines and the fuel system. Inspectors found that both engines had stopped prior to impact. A thorough examination of the fuel tanks, supply lines, pumps, and engine components revealed that no usable fuel remained in the system, and the spark plugs were dry. Furthermore, the propellers showed no signs of having been rotating at the moment of impact.
The investigation also reviewed the pilot's records and maintenance logs. It was noted that the pilot's flight log had not been updated since late 2003, and the aircraft's maintenance logs had not been updated since August 2005. There was no evidence that a fuel requirement calculation had been performed for the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion, which led to the sequential failure of both engines.
- The pilot likely experienced the first engine failure and initiated an emergency landing, during which the second engine subsequently failed.
- The loss of the second engine likely caused a significant leftward yaw that the pilot could not correct in time, leading to the aircraft's descent into the loading dock.
- There was a lack of adequate flight preparation, specifically regarding the estimation of fuel consumption and required reserves for the intended route.