What happened
On 15 November 2013, a Cessna 310Q, registration G-BXUY, was conducting a private flight from Lognes-Emerainville Aerodrome, France, to Hawarden Aerodrome, UK. The flight proceeded normally through various air traffic control sectors until the final stages of the approach to Runway 22.
As the aircraft neared the runway, it began to deviate left of the centerline. Witnesses observed the aircraft becoming unstable, with the wings rocking and the nose pitching up significantly. The aircraft then rolled sharply to the left and struck the ground in an inverted, nose-down attitude. The impact resulted in two fatalities, involving both the pilot and the passenger, and the total destruction of the aircraft.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation focused on the aircraft's fuel system, engines, and propellers. While the aircraft lacked a flight data recorder, investigators successfully analyzed GPS data from the pilot's tablet computer to reconstruct the flight path and speed.
Technical examinations of the engines and propellers revealed no mechanical defects or pre-impact failures. However, investigators found that the left engine was operating at a much lower power setting than the right engine at the time of impact. Crucially, the left main fuel tank was nearly empty, with only two litres of fuel recovered, whereas the right engine's fuel injection manifold was full. The investigation also noted that while the auxiliary tanks contained significant fuel, the fuel selectors were set to the main tanks.
Findings
- The left engine lost power during the final approach due to fuel starvation.
- The pilot likely attempted a go-around manoeuvre to avoid landing on the grass, but the aircraft's speed had dropped below the minimum single-engine control speed.
- The loss of control was exacerbated by the asymmetric thrust produced by the functioning right engine.
- The fuel starvation resulted from the mismanagement of the aircraft's fuel system, as the pilot had not transitioned to the auxiliary tanks despite the main tanks being critically low.
- The pilot's lack of a prepared fuel plan and reliance on mental calculations likely contributed to the oversight regarding the remaining fuel reserves.