What happened
On November 20, 2013, a Cessna 310Q, registration PT-CRK, was performing a transport flight from Goiânia to Uberaba, Brazil. While on final approach to runway 17 at Uberaba Airport, both engines of the aircraft unexpectedly failed.
During the emergency, the pilot attempted to restart the engines while performing a left turn to clear obstacles. Although the pilot managed to restart the left engine, it failed to produce sufficient power to maintain altitude or continue the approach. While flying at a very low altitude of approximately 30 feet through moderate turbulence, the aircraft's right wing struck an electric utility pole. This impact forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing in a nearby sugarcane plantation. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot emerged uninjured.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the aircraft's fuel system and the pilot's flight management. The investigation revealed that while the pilot was properly licensed and the aircraft was airworthy, the maintenance logs for the airframe, engines, and propellers were not up to date.
Discrepancies were found in the fuel records. Although the pilot had recently added 220 liters of fuel, the aircraft's logbook recorded a much higher volume in gallons, which was mathematically inconsistent with the recent refueling. Investigators also noted that the fuel quantity indicators were unreliable, as they showed 80 gallons (approximately 300 liters) remaining after the crash, which would have provided significant remaining endurance.
Crucially, the investigation focused on the fuel selector valve settings. At the time of the initial investigation, the selectors were set to draw from the main tanks, which were empty, while the auxiliary tanks remained full. The pilot admitted to forgetting to switch the fuel selectors during the flight.
Findings
- The dual engine failure was caused by fuel starvation.
- The pilot failed to switch the fuel selectors from the auxiliary tanks to the main tanks during the flight, leading to the depletion of the primary fuel supply.
- Inadequate flight planning regarding fuel consumption and refueling procedures contributed to the event.
- Errors in pilot attention and memory regarding the fuel selector management were contributing factors.