History of the Flight
On 2 July 2005, at approximately 1134 UTC, a Pulsar amateur-built aircraft, registration G-CCBZ, was departing from Deanland Airfield in East Sussex, England. The pilot, who was also the owner, was participating in a group flight to the PFA Rally at Kemble. The surface wind was light, and Runway 26 was used for takeoff.
Shortly after becoming airborne, at about 300 feet above ground level (agl), the engine emitted an abrupt popping sound and then stopped completely. The pilot lowered the nose and attempted to restart the engine, including using the primer. The engine appeared to start briefly but then stopped again. At approximately 150 feet agl, the pilot trimmed the aircraft for a forced landing into the only field of sufficient size visible, noting that the field, though large, contained a tall crop.
The pilot considered the descent rate and approach speed to be reasonable. However, as the wing contacted the crop—oilseed rape—the aircraft decelerated rapidly and pitched nose down, coming to a stop within a few metres of initial crop contact.
Damage and Injuries
The fuselage sustained extensive damage, and the nose landing gear separated from the aircraft. There was no fire. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
Causal Factors
The pilot suspected fuel starvation as the cause of the engine failure. Subsequent examination revealed sediment within both carburettor float bowls. The sediment included small flakes of red paint, which matched the paint on the fuel cans habitually used to refuel the aircraft. The fuel used was automotive MOGAS.
Investigation also showed that the replaceable element in the Purolator fuel filter assembly had not been fully screwed home; it could rock in place, potentially allowing unfiltered fuel to bypass the filter element. It was not determined exactly how the sediment entered the float bowls.
In retrospect, the pilot noted that refuelling through a proper external strainer rather than a jerry can and siphon-tube arrangement might have prevented contamination. The pilot also observed that the filter assembly lacked an indication that the element should be fully tightened, and that the engine primer drew fuel from the tank’s sight glass, which was unfiltered.