What happened
On November 3, 2018, a Siai Marchetti F.260D, registration I-ISAE, crashed near the Caorle aerodrome in Italy during a VFR recreational flight. The aircraft had departed from Caorle at approximately 10:50 UTC for a closed-circuit flight involving several low passes over nearby aerodromes.
During the final segment of the flight, as the aircraft was performing a low-level maneuver near the departure airfield, the engine experienced a sudden loss of power. This occurred while the aircraft was in a critical flight phase—climbing at low altitude while simultaneously retracting the landing gear and likely the flaps. The sudden power loss caused the aircraft to enter an aerodynamic stall. Due to the extremely low altitude, the pilot was unable to execute the necessary emergency procedures to regain control, resulting in a high-energy impact with the ground. The crash resulted in two fatalities.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation focused on the engine's performance, fuel management, and the aircraft's configuration at the time of impact. Investigators examined the wreckage, which showed significant structural deformation, particularly in the right wing and fuselage.
Technical analysis of the fuel system revealed that while the aircraft had sufficient total fuel for the planned mission, the management of the fuel tanks was problematic. The investigation found that the left wing tank was empty, while significant fuel remained in the tip tanks and the right wing tank. The investigation also reviewed maintenance records, noting that the maintenance organization had been using a maintenance manual that was not specific to the F.260D variant, leading to inaccurate fuel level readings when the indicator was at the 'EMPTY' position.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an aerodynamic stall following a sudden loss of engine power.
- The loss of power was likely triggered by the exhaustion of fuel in the active tank due to improper fuel management.
- The pilot may have failed to switch to the right wing tank, or the 'FUEL LEVEL' switch may have been incorrectly positioned, leaving the engine drawing from an empty tank.
- The pilot's limited experience with this specific aircraft type, combined with task saturation during the critical phase of flight, prevented the execution of the required best-glide emergency procedures.
- A lack of oversight in fuel management was noted, as the pilot may have relied on the more experienced passenger to monitor fuel levels.