What happened
On February 14, 2021, a Cessna 182C, registration LV-GMJ, was conducting a general aviation flight for skydiving purposes near Pehuajó, Buenos Aires. The flight departed from the Pehuajó aerodrome at 20:30 UTC. During the approach phase, approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the aircraft's engine stopped.
The pilot attempted an emergency landing, during which the aircraft traveled 30 meters over a cornfield, struck a perimeter fence, crossed a road, and impacted a ditch. The aircraft came to rest 1.9 kilometers from the threshold of runway 18. The impact caused significant damage to the fuselage, landing gear, wings, propeller, and engine. The pilot sustained one minor injury and was hospitalized for observation for 48 hours.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's fuel state and engine condition. While the pilot reported having loaded a total of 130 liters of fuel, investigators found the right tank was empty and the left tank contained only approximately 23 liters. The fuel selector valve was set to the "both" position.
Technical analysis of the fuel from the left tank confirmed it was suitable 100LL fuel and contained no water. A subsequent inspection of the engine at a repair workshop in Córdoba revealed no mechanical failures or technical defects that could have caused the engine to stop. However, the investigation was hindered by a lack of pilot documentation and conflicting witness accounts regarding the flight's specific details.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred during the approach phase, necessitating an emergency landing.
- The amount of remaining fuel in the left tank was below the unusable fuel limit specified in the manufacturer's manual, which states that up to 38 liters may be unavailable for use in certain flight conditions.
- The engine likely stopped due to fuel starvation.
- The investigation could not definitively determine the exact cause of the fuel depletion due to a lack of available evidence.