Incident Overview
On a ferry flight from Linköping Airport, Sweden, to Porto, Portugal, a twin-engine aircraft carrying one passenger and two pilots experienced a dual engine failure over France. The aircraft, which was being delivered to a new operator in Venezuela, had been equipped with thirteen metal cans of fuel secured in the cabin, with an electrical pump used to transfer fuel to the structural tanks.
Sequence of Events
While cruising at an altitude of 5,500 feet over France, the right engine failed, shortly followed by the left engine. The crew reduced altitude and attempted an emergency landing in an open field. After rolling for approximately 400 metres, the aircraft collided with trees. The impact destroyed the aircraft and left all three occupants injured.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined that both engines failed due to fuel starvation, caused by improper fuel transfer from the cabin-installed cans. Prior to departure, the crew had calculated the hourly fuel consumption at 170 litres, whereas the actual consumption was 360 litres per hour. The following contributing factors were reported: poor flight preparation, wrong calculation of fuel consumption, poor fuel management, insufficient knowledge of aircraft performance, and the fact that the installation of the fuel cans had not been approved by the authority prior to the delivery flight.