Cessna 152 EC-HJG Emergency Landing at Cuatro Vientos

Incident Overview and Flight Details On June 16, 2004, at 20:35 local time, a Cessna 152 with registration EC-HJG, operated by Airman, Centro de Formación Aeronáutica, executed an emergency landing in a field near Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid. The aircraft was equipped with a single Lycoming O-235-L2C engine. The flight was a general aviation training operation under dual command, involving a 32-year-old commercial pilot instructor and a student pilot. The student was on their second hour of practice and first flight with this instructor. ## Sequence of Events The flight departed Cuatro Vientos Airport at 19:15, heading southwest. An exterior inspection, including a visual check of the fuel tanks, was conducted at 19:00. After completing a series of planned maneuvers, the student suggested continuing with additional unplanned exercises. While returning to the airport, the instructor contacted the control tower and was instructed to notify entry into the right downwind for runway 10. At a distance of 2-3 miles, the engine experienced a loss of power. The instructor declared an emergency and landed safely in a suitable area. The incident and location were relayed to the tower via another aircraft in the area, and security services located the aircraft immediately. ## Investigation and Findings A preliminary inspection by the flight school's technical staff determined that the engine failure was caused by a lack of fuel. The aircraft had a total of 11,397 flight hours at the time of the incident, with the last 50-hour maintenance check performed at 11,385 hours. The fuel tanks had a total capacity of 98 liters (92 liters usable). The operator's fuel control procedure relied on verbal transmission of flight hours since the last refueling. Data from the last four refuelings indicated an average fuel consumption of 23.8 liters per hour, compared to the operator's reported consumption of approximately 20 liters per hour at 65% maximum cruise power. ## Probable Cause and Corrective Actions The investigation identified several contributing factors, including an incorrect evaluation of available fuel during flight preparation, a rich mixture setting, an incomplete previous refueling, imprecise logging of flight time, and a voluntary extension of the planned flight time. The report concluded that the flight was extended beyond the planned duration and that the fuel assessment during preparation was erroneous. The crew's decision to land immediately upon engine failure, their selection of a suitable landing area, and the execution of the emergency landing were noted as correct. The flight school implemented a corrective measure to ensure fuel tanks are completely filled before starting any flight operation.