What happened
On August 30, 2002, an Aviat A-1 “Husky”, registration PH-AWH, was conducting a promotional flight departing from Rotterdam Airport. The pilot had previously completed a short 30-minute promotional flight earlier that day without refueling the aircraft. During the second flight, approximately 30 minutes into the mission, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to use the carburetor heat, which temporarily restored engine performance, but the engine eventually failed completely near 's-Gravendeel. The pilot successfully jettisoned the tow rope and performed a controlled emergency landing in a field. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel levels remaining in the aircraft following the incident. Post-flight inspections revealed that only approximately 1.4 liters of fuel remained in the tanks. According to the aircraft's flight manual, the amount of unusable fuel is approximately 7.5 liters (2 U.S. gallons). This discrepancy confirmed that the engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion.
The aircraft utilizes a high-wing design with fuel sight gauges located at the wing roots, visible from the cockpit. While this system is generally reliable, the investigation noted that accurate readings require the aircraft to be flying level and without slip. Although the pilot reported checking the fuel levels before departure and seeing levels between one-quarter and one-half full—which should have been sufficient for the planned flight duration—the pilot could not recall the specific fuel levels following the first flight of the day.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
- Inadequate flight preparation regarding fuel quantities and poor fuel management during the flight contributed to the incident.
- The pilot's reliance on fuel gauges, which can be inaccurate during maneuvers, and an optimistic assessment of fuel consumption led to the depletion of usable fuel.