Dual-Engine Failure During Training Flight in Carmona (EC-FMX)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On Saturday, August 5, 2006, at 11:18 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T with registration EC-FMX, operated by Aerotec, experienced a dual engine failure during an NDB approach to Seville Airport. The aircraft was conducting a training flight to verify a student pilot's competencies for multi-engine piston and instrument flight ratings. The flight originated from Malaga Airport at 09:30 local time. After completing an ILS approach with takeoff and landing at Seville, the crew performed maneuvers including slow flight, turns, and simulated engine stops north of point 'N' in the Seville Control Zone. At 11:10, they departed the area to head toward the SPP NDB and requested authorization for an NDB approach to Seville Airport. Ten seconds after initiating the approach at 2,000 ft MSL, both engines stopped almost simultaneously. The instructor took control and attempted an in-flight engine restart, which initially succeeded but the engines stopped again immediately. The aircraft descended rapidly, and at 1,000 ft above the ground, the crew declared an emergency and decided to make an emergency landing due to the inability to reach Seville Airport. They selected a suitable plot of land and landed in it. The plot was cultivated with cotton and had irregularities and large stones. Upon initiating ground roll, both main landing gear legs broke and the nose gear folded. The aircraft slid on its fuselage until it stopped at the edge of the plot. Both occupants were uninjured, secured the aircraft, and then abandoned it. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the landing gear, with both main legs torn off, both propellers, the fuselage, and the left wing. Some cotton plants in the field were also damaged. The pilot in command was a 57-year-old Spanish national with 15,000 total flight hours and 350 hours on type. The student pilot was a 25-year-old Spanish national with 168 total flight hours and 28 hours on type. The aircraft was last refueled at Malaga Airport the previous afternoon with 139 liters of AVGAS100LL, filling its tanks. The estimated fuel consumption for the flight was 102.5 liters per hour, resulting in approximately 180 liters consumed during the 1 hour and 45 minutes of flight. Post-accident inspection revealed that both fuel tanks were completely empty, the fuel lines were empty, and the fuel selector switches were in the 'OFF' position. The left wing's drain devices were torn off by friction during landing, while the right tank was intact. The fuel selector valve for the left engine and its associated lines were checked in the hangar and found to be correctly connected with no signs of fuel leaks. The valve functioned correctly in all three positions: open (ON), closed (OFF), and crossfeed. The valve body was opened and found to be clean and in perfect condition. The crew reported that the flight from Malaga was normal, except for initial communication problems with the aircraft's transponder signal. During the slow flight practice, when extending the flaps fully, the aircraft...