What happened
On 19 October 2013, a Cassutt Racer IIIM, registration G-BFMF, was performing circuit practice at Halfpenny Green Airfield in the West Midlands. After completing standard pre-takeoff checks, the aircraft climbed to 1,000 feet. However, shortly after the pilot turned onto the base leg for Runway 16, the engine began to lose power. Although the pilot attempted to maintain engine operation by pumping the throttle, the power was insufficient to sustain altitude.
After declaring an emergency, the pilot realized the runway could not be reached and performed an emergency landing in a soft, muddy ploughed field located approximately 250 to 300 meters short of the runway threshold. The aircraft touched down at a speed roughly 5 mph above stall speed. During the landing roll, the aircraft pitched over and came to rest inverted. The pilot became trapped inside the cockpit because the canopy could not be opened, necessitating a rescue by the Airfield Fire Service. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the engine failure and the pilot's actions during the flight. The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the downwind and base legs of the circuit. The pilot noted that during the downwind leg, there had been several radio communications with the control tower regarding other traffic, which may have served as a distraction.
Findings
- The engine power loss was likely caused by the inadvertent selection of the mixture control to the fully lean position instead of applying carburettor heat.
- The pilot noted that the mixture control on this aircraft was positioned similarly to the carburettor heat control on a different aircraft type he had previously flown.
- Radio communications with the tower regarding circuit traffic may have distracted the pilot at the moment he intended to apply carburettor heat.