Incident Overview
On 23 July 2011 at 13:05 local time, a Cessna TU-206 aircraft (registration G-CCRC) took off from the Santa Cilia de Jaca Aerodrome in Huesca, Spain, for its third parachute drop flight of the day. The aircraft was operated by Centro de Paracaidismo Pirineos. Onboard were one pilot and five parachutists. Weather conditions were suitable for visual flight and parachuting, with a slight wind from the west.
Flight Details
After climbing to approximately 3,300 m (11,000 ft) above the airfield, the pilot began reducing engine RPMs to level out. At that point, he smelled smoke and felt vibrations as the engine lost power. The parachutists performed a routine jump without difficulty and landed at the planned spot. The pilot then started a descent for landing, maintaining the selected engine RPMs. Shortly before landing, he commanded power from the engine, but it did not respond, although it remained operational.
Emergency Landing
The terrain along the approach to runway 27 at Santa Cilia de Jaca Aerodrome descends sharply, and mountain turbulence is common in the area before the threshold. Noticing increased turbulence, the pilot opted to perform an emergency landing on a clear field outside the aerodrome, parallel to and to the right of runway 27. He reported this intention on the radio and after landing informed the aerodrome of his situation. Neither the pilot nor the aircraft was harmed in the landing. All material damage was confined to the engine.
Aircraft and Maintenance Background
The Cessna TU-206 is a single-engine, high-wing strutted airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,633 kg. It was registered by the UK CAA in February 2004. The owner, Skycentre Moonjumper International, dry-leased the aircraft to the operator under a renewable one-year contract for a minimum of 250 hours for parachute drops. Maintenance costs were deducted from the weekly rental payment.
For the last two years of operation, maintenance was contracted to Locavions in Pau, France, then shifted in June 2011 to Futurhangars in Sabadell, Barcelona. Locavions followed a generic maintenance program with 50 FH, 150 FH, and annual inspections. The last annual inspection had been overdue since April 2011. A review of maintenance documentation revealed errors, including listing a 50 FH inspection as a 150 FH inspection and misidentifying the engine as a Lycoming. The last 150 FH inspection in April 2011 involved disassembling the exhaust to repair cracks, disassembling the turbocharger to replace gaskets, and disassembling/assembling the number 3 cylinder, followed by a search for significant exhaust gas leaks.
Engine Information
The aircraft was equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520-M7B engine, a turbocharged, fuel-injected six-cylinder engine with a maximum takeoff power of 310 HP. The engine had accumulated 472 hours since its last overhaul on 3 August 2008 (at 2,807 airframe hours). Total airframe hours at the time of the incident were 3,281. The engine was due for a 50 FH inspection (scheduled at 475 FH). Prior to the incident, the aircraft had been flown for parachute drop operations with an average flight duration of 24 minutes. Pilots were aware of a previous engine failure in 2008 and operated the engine with smooth regime variations.