What happened
On April 16, 2010, a Cessna 152, registration EC-JMJ, departed from Bilbao airport for a flight training checkride. The purpose of the flight was to verify a pilot for a single-engine piston instructor rating. The crew, consisting of an instructor acting as pilot-in-command and a trainee, performed various maneuvers near Villasana de Mena, including slow flight, stalls, and simulated engine failures.
During the second simulated engine failure maneuver, the crew attempted to apply full power to recover the aircraft. However, the engine failed to respond with the required power, and the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The crew prepared for an emergency landing by securing the cabin, extending full flaps, and cutting the fuel and ignition. The aircraft subsequently struck the terrain in two points near a farm and a house before coming to rest in a low grass field in Santa Cruz de an Mena. Both occupants were uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical condition, the flight maneuvers, and the environmental factors. A detailed inspection of the engine was conducted in a hangar, which revealed no mechanical anomalies capable of causing a power loss. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was equipped with a fixed-pitch, high-angle (long-pitch) propeller, which results in slower engine acceleration during power changes.
Findings
- The maneuver was initiated at a very low altitude, using a nearby house roof as a visual reference.
- The aircraft was flying toward a hill that rose 36 meters above the valley, requiring additional altitude gain that the aircraft could not achieve.
- The inability to regain sufficient altitude was the primary cause, driven by the low starting altitude and the need to clear rising terrain.
- Contributing factors included the use of full flaps during the maneuver, the presence of a light tailwind, and the slow acceleration characteristics of the installed long-pitch propeller.