What happened
On October 11, 2005, a Cessna 310 operated by SEFA departed Rodez for Marseille Provence. During the flight, the pilot had transitioned to auxiliary fuel tanks. Upon arrival at Marseille, the pilot selected the left main tank to feed the left engine but, following a personal habit, decided to delay selecting the right main tank for several minutes.
Following a touch-and-go maneuver at Marseille, the aircraft entered an initial climb with the landing gear retracted. During this phase, the pilot noticed a rightward yaw and a decrease in power from the right engine. The pilot attempted to compensate using the rudder and trim while increasing power on both engines. Suspecting a fuel issue, the pilot attempted to use the crossfeed function and activated the auxiliary fuel pumps to the 'HIGH' position, but the power loss persisted.
As airspeed decreased, the pilot executed a 180-degree turn to perform an emergency landing on the opposite runway. The aircraft landed on runway 32 Right, which was occupied by an Airbus A3/319 prepared for takeoff. The right propeller was windmilling due to the relative wind. After the aircraft came to a stop on taxiway D4, the left engine also ceased operation. No injuries or damage were reported.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the fuel management sequence and the pilot's response to the engine power loss. Investigators found that the right auxiliary tank was empty. The pilot admitted to forgetting to select the right main tank during the period of high workload caused by air traffic control instructions to maintain a high speed and follow a specific approach path.
Technical analysis revealed that the right engine had been flooded by the high fuel flow generated by the auxiliary fuel pump. Furthermore, the investigation examined the pilot's training and the operator's procedures. The operator's manual required a five-minute separation between selecting auxiliary tanks to prevent simultaneous engine failure, but it did not specifically address the selection of main tanks during descent.
Findings
- The pilot failed to select the right main tank, leading to a fuel starvation condition.
- The pilot's decision to delay the selection of the right main tank contributed to the engine power loss.
- High workload during the approach, including guidance from air traffic control, led to the omission of the necessary fuel tank selection.
- The use of the auxiliary fuel pump caused the engine to flood, complicating the identification of the failure.
- The pilot's corrective actions, such as applying rudder and trim, inadvertently reduced the physical cues needed to identify the engine failure.