What happened
On 17 March 2003, a Kolb Twinstar Mk3 (Modified), registration G-MYVA, was conducting a private flight near Ince Blundell. The pilot intended to perform several circuits of the airfield. During the takeoff, the aircraft was configured with 20 litres of fuel in one tank and approximately 5 litres in the other. While airborne on the downwind leg, the pilot realized the fuel selector had not been switched to the full tank and attempted to rectify this.
As the aircraft transitioned to the base leg, the engine experienced a momentary hesitation before seemingly recovering. However, upon advancing the throttle to maintain altitude, the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine while monitoring airspeed. During this process, the pilot noted that the instrument panel's forward position likely led to the control column being pushed forward while reaching for the controls.
Having descended to roughly 250 feet, the pilot determined that continuing the flight was impossible. The engine, fuel, and magnetos were switched off, and the pilot executed an emergency landing in a nearby field. The field had been ploughed at right angles to the aircraft's direction of travel, resulting in the collapse of the left undercarriage strut, buckling of the left wing strut mounting, and damage to the aircraft's fabric.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of fuel management and the pilot's actions during the engine failure. The investigation focused on the engine's loss of power and the physical circumstances of the landing in the ploughed field.