History of the Flight
On 23 June 2008, a Cessna 177RG Cardinal, registration EC-GCX, operated by a private owner, was on a check flight following an annual inspection at an authorized maintenance center at Madrid-Cuatro Vientos Airport. The flight was required for renewal of the Airworthiness Certificate. The sole occupant, the owner and usual pilot, held a PPL(A) and had approximately 500 total flight hours, with 440 hours on type. The aircraft took off from runway 10 at 13:10 under visual flight rules. At 13:14, while 3 NM west of Villaviciosa de Odón at 4,000 ft, the pilot reported engine problems and requested to return to the airport. Cleared to proceed directly to runway 10, the pilot declined to declare an emergency and informed the controller that he had a suitable landing site in sight. At about 13:20, the aircraft landed in a wheat field oriented parallel to the plow furrows, with the landing gear retracted. The pilot exited the aircraft uninjured and later reported his position. A Traffic Authority helicopter arrived approximately ten minutes later.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained significant damage to the engine and propeller, with minor structural damage to the lower fuselage from the landing run. The forward crankshaft retainer was displaced forward, and a hole was found in the top of the crankcase near the number 4 cylinder. The propeller blades exhibited backward bending at the tips and scratch marks parallel to the blade width, consistent with ground impact at low rpm and no thrust. The lower fuselage was saturated with engine oil.
Inspection Findings
After the incident, the aircraft was moved to a hangar at Cuatro Vientos Airport. The external inspection of the powerplant confirmed an oil leak at the propeller governor coupling to the engine accessory housing. The engine could not be turned, and a 4-cm hole in the main crankcase exposed the camshaft, apparently caused by an unidentified engine component. The governor was removed without difficulty; it showed no damage to the mechanical linkage or the oil line to the propeller hub. The oil line contained only a few drops of dense gray oil, indicating that oil flow had ceased before the propeller stopped. The investigation noted that the maintenance manual required two gaskets and a plate for governor installation per Lycoming Service Instruction 1438A, but the report does not state whether the installation on the accident aircraft complied with this requirement.