Engine failure and heavy landing of Pierre Robin HR100/210 Safari II at Bourn Airfield

Casualties unknown • Bourn Airfield, Cambridgeshire, GB

A private flight in a Pierre Robin HR100/210 Safari II ended in a heavy landing in a crop field after the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion.

What happened

On 17 April 2010, a Pierre Robin HR10-210 Safari II, registration G-BLWF, was conducting a local flight from Bourn Airfield in Cambridgeshire. The pilot had recently purchased the aircraft and intended to familiarise himself with its handling characteristics. Approximately 35 minutes into the flight, while five miles south of the airfield, the engine began to misfire. Although the pilot verified that engine temperature and oil pressure remained normal and briefly managed the misfire by activating the fuel pump, the engine eventually stopped. Unable to reach the runway, the aircraft performed a heavy landing in a field of crops roughly 150 metres short of the runway. The impact caused the right landing gear to detach from the wing spar and collapse into the wing and flap, while the nose gear was forced upward into the engine bay and firewall. The pilot escaped the accident without injury.

The investigation

The investigation established that the aircraft's fuel system comprised two inner wing tanks and two auxiliary outer wing tanks. Before departure, the pilot checked the fuel levels using the gauges and a physical check of the left inner tank, noting sufficient fuel for the intended flight. However, during the pre-flight selection, the pilot chose the left outer tank, mistakenly believing it was the position for the left inner tank. This error was attributed to the fact that the identification placard on the fuel selector cock was badly scratched and nearly impossible to read. Furthermore, the pilot's interpretation of the aircraft's flight manual contributed to the error, as he misapplied a recommendation regarding tank usage intended only for start-up and take-off.

Findings

  • The engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion resulting from the incorrect selection of the left outer tank.
  • The pilot misidentified the fuel tank position due to a heavily worn and illegible identification placard on the fuel selector cock.
  • The pilot misread the flight manual's instructions regarding the use of the left inner tank.

Probable cause

The engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion after the pilot incorrectly selected the left outer tank instead of the left inner tank, a mistake facilitated by a badly illegible fuel selector placard and a misinterpretation of the flight manual.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2010-04-17 Pierre Robin HR100/210 Safari II accident near Bourn Airfield, Cambridgeshire, GB?

A private flight in a Pierre Robin HR100/210 Safari II ended in a heavy landing in a crop field after the engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2010-04-17 involved a Pierre Robin HR100/210 Safari II, registration G-BLWF, at Bourn Airfield, Cambridgeshire, GB.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion after the pilot incorrectly selected the left outer tank instead of the left inner tank, a mistake facilitated by a badly illegible fuel selector placard and a misinterpretation of the flight manual.

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