What happened
On 17 May 2014, a Cessna 152 was conducting a cross-country navigation flight. After an initial leg from Zwartberg (EBZW) to Bullingen (EBUL) via the Netherlands, the two pilots began the return journey. During the flight, the crew noted changing wind conditions and increasing turbulence, which included a strong headwind component.
As the aircraft approached the landing pattern for EBZW, the engine began to cough and eventually ceased operation. Realizing the engine could not be restarted, the pilot performed an emergency landing in a field near a coal tip east of the airfield. While the landing itself was executed successfully, the aircraft's nose wheel struck a ditch at the end of the landing roll, causing the gear to break off and resulting in structural damage to the fuselage. Both pilots exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel management and the state of the aircraft's systems. Investigators found that only 7 liters of fuel remained in the wing tanks following the event, and the fuel lines to the engine were empty. Although the pilots had performed flight preparations and refueled the aircraft earlier that day, they did not use a dipstick to verify the actual fuel levels, relying instead on the cockpit gauges. Furthermore, no intermediate fuel check was conducted before the return leg of the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel starvation.
- The unreliable performance of the aircraft's fuel gauges contributed to the incident, as the crew relied on these indicators to estimate remaining endurance.
- The decision to proceed directly to EBZW without a refueling stop was influenced by time constraints, as the aircraft was scheduled for use by subsequent pilots.