Incident Details
The Cessna 207 was operating a sightseeing flight from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair and return. On board were the pilot and four passengers. The flight departed Cradle Mountain at approximately 1310 hours Eastern Summer Time (ESuT) and tracked directly to Lake St. Clair at 7,000 feet due to turbulence. After reaching Lake St. Clair, the aircraft returned to Cradle Mountain.
At approximately 1404 hours, as the aircraft approached the airfield, the pilot configured for a straight-in approach to runway 02. The pilot had selected two stages of flaps and reduced power to approximately 19 inches of manifold pressure. About half a mile from the airfield, the engine stopped without prior warning. After completing trouble checks, the pilot realized the aircraft would not reach the airfield. He then maneuvered the aircraft toward an open area on his right while broadcasting a MAYDAY call, which Melbourne air traffic control acknowledged. The pilot conducted additional trouble checks and changed the fuel tank selection, but the engine did not restart.
Landing and Aftermath
The aircraft touched down heavily on the main wheels and slid approximately 40 meters before coming to a stop. During touchdown and the subsequent slide, the nose wheel detached, the propeller was damaged, and the right wing partially separated from the airframe. After the aircraft stopped, the pilot checked on the passengers and discovered that two of them had suffered serious injuries.
Investigation
The pilot reported that he had completed a daily inspection earlier that morning, including assessing fuel quantity and performing a fuel drain and water check; neither revealed any problems. He estimated there was approximately 185 liters of fuel on board: 90 liters in the right tank and 95 liters in the left tank. The aircraft had last been refueled the previous day from drum stock and had completed two flights since then without issues.
Engineers who recovered the aircraft reported approximately 30 liters of fuel in the left tank and 100 liters in the right tank. The Cessna 207 has a fuel selector that allows fuel to be drawn from either the right or left tank individually. The pilot stated that he conducted the flight with the selector on the left tank and did not move it until performing trouble checks after the engine failed. He did not prepare flight or fuel plans for the flight, relying on prior knowledge.
Post-occurrence analysis indicated that winds at 7,000 feet were as forecast. A post-flight analysis showed the aircraft would have required 57 liters of fuel for the flight, including allowances for taxi and climb. The engine was sent to an overhaul facility for testing. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) did not attend the testing. The engine was fitted to a test cell in the condition as removed from the aircraft and ran normally, with all temperature and pressure limits within normal ranges.
The investigation was unable to determine why the engine failed to operate normally during the latter stages of the flight.