What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2001-11-28 involved a F22-A, registration G-FZZA, at Welshpool Aerodrome, Powys, GB.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion, leaving the aircraft with insufficient fuel to maintain engine operation during the approach and landing.

Engine failure during landing at Welshpool Aerodrome

A General Avia F22-A experienced engine spluttering and subsequent fuel exhaustion during a private flight, resulting in a runway excursion and nose gear collapse.

What happened

On 28 November 2001, a General Avia F2/A, registration G-FZZA, was returning to Welshpool Aerodrome following a 70-minute local flight. While joining the circuit from the dead side of Runway 22, the pilot noted the engine began to splutter. In an attempt to rectify the issue, the pilot checked the carburettor temperature, verified the carburettor heat control, ensured the electric fuel pump was active, and confirmed the mixture was rich and both magnetos and the fuel selector were in the correct positions.

As the engine performance continued to deteriorate, the pilot issued a Pan-Pan call and turned toward the airfield, providing further radio updates to nearby traffic. During the approach, the pilot realized the aircraft was at an unsuitable height and speed, subsequently deploying full flaps to decelerate. The aircraft impacted the runway at an estimated speed of 70 kt, though an airfield official observed the aircraft approaching at approximately 120 kt. After several severe bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot instructed the passenger to brace, and the aircraft came to a halt on the runway. There were no injuries to the crew or passenger.

The investigation

The investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical state and fuel levels following the incident. While the pilot had deployed full flaps to shed speed, post-flight electrical checks revealed the flap indicator showed they were not fully lowered. Upon inspection of the fuel system, the fuel gauge indicated the tank was empty. When engineers attempted to drain the tank, they recovered less than one litre of fuel, which is below the 1.5-litre unusable fuel limit specified in the Aircraft Flight Manual. Records regarding recent refueling were insufficient to determine the exact amount of fuel on board at takeoff.

Findings

The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion.
The aircraft was operating with insufficient fuel to complete the flight safely.
The pilot attempted several corrective actions for engine spluttering, including checking the fuel pump and mixture, but these were ineffective due to the lack of fuel.
The nose landing gear collapsed following multiple bounces on the runway surface.