What happened
On August 16, 2003, a Cessna 337-H, registration EC-IFR, departed from Girona Airport to conduct a tuna scouting mission. The flight, which included a pilot, a co-pilot, and an observer, proceeded normally for over four hours. While performing a 45-degree left turn to follow a school of fish, the aircraft's rear engine experienced an initial loss of power. Although the pilot managed to level the aircraft and temporarily recover power, the rear engine failed completely five seconds later.
As the aircraft lost altitude and airspeed, the crew deployed emergency survival equipment and prepared for a ditching. The aircraft entered the sea at approximately 18:50 hours, roughly 40 NM from the Bagur VOR. The three occupants successfully deployed a life raft and remained in the water for approximately 90 minutes before being rescued by a French tuna vessel. All three individuals survived without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on two primary areas: the cause of the engine failure and the management of the emergency by Air Traffic Services (ATS).
Regarding the engine failure, investigators considered fuel contamination, fuel system failure, and fuel exhaustion. Because the aircraft was not recovered, a physical inspection of the engine and fuel system was impossible. While a comprehensive maintenance inspection had been performed 17 days prior, investigators noted discrepancies in the pilot's fuel records. Calculations suggested that if the pilot's reported full refuelings were accurate, the aircraft should have had sufficient fuel. However, based on flight manual consumption rates, the data suggested the aircraft may have been operating with less fuel than the crew believed, potentially leading to fuel exhaustion.
Regarding the emergency response, the investigation found that the Girona Tower did not initiate the uncertainty phase despite the aircraft being 70 minutes overdue according to its flight plan. Furthermore, the emergency calls made by the pilot on the 121.5 MHz frequency were not received by ACC Barcelona or the Girona Tower, possibly due to lack of radio coverage at low altitudes.
Findings
- The most probable cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
- There were significant deficiencies in the application of emergency phase activation procedures by the Girona Air Traffic Control Tower, which delayed the coordination of search and rescue efforts.
- The aircraft was operating beyond its planned flight duration by approximately 20 minutes at the time of the accident.