Cessna 172-RG Emergency Landing Near Jimena de la Frontera (EC-ICY)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On Saturday, February 1, 2003, at 17:05 local time, a Cessna 172-RG with registration EC-ICY made an emergency landing in a field located 2 nautical miles south of Jimena de la Frontera, Cádiz. The aircraft was operating a non-commercial general aviation pleasure flight. It had departed from Jerez de la Frontera Airport at 16:40 local time with the intention of flying to Málaga Airport. The aircraft was equipped with a single Lycoming O-360-F1A6 engine. ## Crew, Passengers, and Injuries The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers. The pilot was 22 years old and held a commercial pilot license for airplanes, with a total of 500 flight hours and 25 hours on the type. The pilot's license was valid until August 2, 2004, and they were current on required medical examinations. All four occupants were unharmed. ## Damage and Survival The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, engine, and landing gear. The landing gear damage was attributed to the field being somewhat soft, causing the aircraft to sink into the terrain. The aircraft maintained its structural integrity. No other significant damage to third parties was recorded. The occupants were able to exit the aircraft on their own. They were located by a Helimer Andalucía helicopter that happened to be in the area within about 15 minutes. The helicopter descended to assist, confirmed the occupants were unharmed, and transported them to Jerez de la Frontera Airport. ## Communications and Investigation The aircraft communicated the emergency situation to ACC Sevilla on the 128.50 MHz frequency. Communications also occurred between ACC Sevilla, the incident aircraft, another aircraft flying in company, and the Helimer Andalucía helicopter. ## Technical Findings The pilot reported that after about 25 minutes of flight at a cruising altitude of 5,500 feet, the nose of the aircraft began to vibrate. The pilot then observed the oil pressure indication decreasing to zero, initiating emergency procedures for engine failure. The engine stopped shortly after, and an in-flight restart was impossible. The pilot then searched for a field for a forced landing, finding one near Jimena de la Frontera. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the engine had stopped due to a lack of oil (gripaje). Oil was leaking from the bottom of the oil radiator, which is located on the right side of the aircraft. The leak was visible, though with difficulty, when the radiator was removed. Approximately 1.5 liters of oil remained in the crankcase, and almost none in the radiator. Oil had run down the inside of the cowling to the cowling joint, exiting and staining the lower right side of the aircraft. The right cooling flap was full of oil, while the left was clean. A bench test of the radiator determined the leak rate from the pore under normal operating conditions (75 psi and 175°F) to be approximately 17 liters per hour. Given the engine's maximum oil capacity of about 8 liters and an estimated 2 liters remaining in the aircraft after the incident, the leak occurred over a maximum of approximately 20 minutes. Microscopic observation showed a pore that appeared to be caused by corrosion, with other signs of corrosion in an area of about 1 centimeter around the pore. The rest of the radiator showed no appreciable damage in the initial inspection.