What happened
On September 5, 2004, a Morane Saul．Saulnier MS-893-E, registration EC-DRC, was performing a commercial aerial advertising flight along the western coast of Ibiza. After departing from Ibiza Airport, the pilot flew to San Rafael to collect an advertising sign before proceeding south along the coastline.
During the flight, approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, the pilot performed a routine fuel tank switch from the left to the right tank, following the procedure outlined in the flight manual. Less than one minute after completing this switch, the engine experienced a loss of power and subsequently stopped. Due to the lack of suitable landing sites in the immediate coastal area, the pilot performed an emergency ditching in the sea near Cala Bassa. The pilot was able to exit the cabin and was rescued by a nearby vessel; however, the aircraft sank to a depth of 40 meters shortly after the incident. The owner chose not to attempt recovery due to the high costs involved.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the fuel tank change and the mechanical state of the engine. The pilot reported that all pre-flight checks and refueling procedures had been completed normally. The investigation examined the engine's reliability and the specific timing of the power loss relative to the fuel selector valve adjustment. Because the aircraft was not recovered from the seabed, a definitive physical inspection of the engine components was not possible.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred almost immediately after the pilot switched the fuel source from the left tank to the right tank.
- An interruption in the fuel flow is the most likely cause of the engine stoppage.
- While the Lycoming O-360-A3A engine type is historically reliable, the investigation noted that many in-flight engine failures are caused by improper handling rather than mechanical failure.
- The pilot successfully executed the ditching procedure, preventing any fatalities.