Cessna FR-172J Emergency Landing in Almazora (EC-DED)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On September 11, 2006, a privately operated Cessna FR-172J, registration EC-DED, departed Castellón Aerodrome at 10:00 local time for a local pleasure flight. The aircraft was equipped with a single Teledyne Continental IO-360-J engine. The 61-year-old pilot held a private pilot license and had 2,600 total flight hours, including 145 hours on the aircraft type. ## Engine Stoppages and Emergency Response Approximately two hours into the flight, while cruising at 1,500 feet over the Mijares River mouth, the engine stopped without prior warning, rough running, or explosions. The pilot notified Castellón Aerodrome and attempted a restart by engaging the auxiliary fuel pump, setting the mixture to rich, and adjusting the throttle. The restart was initially successful, but the engine stopped again shortly after leveling out. ## Emergency Landing and Damage With the aircraft over a clearing, the pilot executed an emergency landing at approximately 70 knots. Full flaps were deployed to reduce speed. The aircraft made initial ground contact 85 meters from its final resting position, skidding and bouncing before colliding with a small, hard earth embankment. The pilot secured the aircraft by turning off the magnetos, closing the fuel selector, and retracting the throttle. All four occupants evacuated without injury. ## Investigation and Findings Post-accident inspections revealed the fuel selector was in the closed position and the auxiliary pump was off. The left fuel tank contained 52 liters of fuel, while the right tank was empty. The fuel system showed no leaks or damage, and the engine and propeller exhibited no signs of mechanical failure. Workshop tests confirmed the engine, ignition system, and fuel pump operated correctly. ## Probable Cause Analysis Investigators concluded there was no evidence of engine or system failure. With sufficient fuel in the left tank and the selector tested to function correctly, the stoppages were attributed to either the right tank being selected from the start of the flight or the selector being in an undetected intermediate position, allowing fuel to be drawn only from the empty right tank until exhaustion.