What happened
On 2 September 2008, a CAP 232, registration G-GSGZ, was engaged in a private aerobatic flight departing from Hawarden Airfield. After completing initial checks and performing approximately seven minutes of aerobatic manoeuvres, the pilot noticed the engine stop for several seconds during a stall turn. Upon leveling the aircraft, a check of the fuel gauges indicated the centre tank was empty.
As the pilot attempted to return to the airfield, the engine ceased functioning approximately 3 nm south of Llay. Unable to reach the airfield, the pilot performed a forced landing in a recently cultivated field. During the landing roll, the aircraft experienced a rough and bouncy touchdown, causing the nose to pitch down and the aircraft to flip onto its back. The impact broke the canopy and trapped the pilot beneath the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot had misjudged the remaining fuel quantity. Although the fuel gauge initially suggested the centre tank was nearly full, the pilot later determined the level was likely only half full. The investigation noted that the gauge position required the pilot to move his leg to view it, making continuous monitoring difficult, and that the gauge did not provide a linear or accurate reading of the actual fuel volume.
Furthermore, the pilot had relied on a visual assessment during pre-flight checks rather than using a physical dip inspection of the fuel level or the engine stick. The investigation also noted that the pilot was not wearing a parachute at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion.
- The pilot miscalculated the amount of fuel available for the flight duration.
- The fuel gauge was not a reliable indicator of the actual quantity of fuel remaining in the centre tank.
- The pilot did not perform a physical dip check of the fuel during pre-flight inspections.
- The aircraft's inversion and the pilot's entrapment were caused by the aircraft pitching forward onto its back during the landing roll on soft, cultivated ground.