What happened
On September 14, 2023, a Cessna U206F, registration YV1154, was conducting a flight from the Parupita indigenous community to La Paragua Aerodrome (SVGA) in Bolívar State, Venezuela. The aircraft was operated by a single pilot.
During the approach phase, while transitioning from the base leg to the final approach and performing a turn to align with the runway threshold, the pilot reduced engine power. During this maneuver, the engine began to lose fuel supply as the fuel level in the active tank dropped below the required minimum, resulting in an engine shutdown.
The pilot immediately attempted to switch to the alternative fuel tank to restore supply; however, the aircraft had already lost too much airspeed and altitude to successfully restart the engine. Faced with the loss of power, the pilot executed an emergency landing in a field approximately 200 meters from the destination aerodrome. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage, including damage to the propeller blades and the detachment of the nose gear from its fuselage mounting.
Findings
- The engine shutdown was caused by an insufficient fuel supply in the active tank.
- The pilot's attempt to switch tanks was unsuccessful due to the critical loss of altitude and airspeed following the failure.