What happened
On 28 October 2016, an Aero AT-3 R100, registration PH-GED, was conducting a cross-country flight from Lelystad Airport to Texel International Airport under visual meteorological conditions. The flight included the captain and a second pilot. During the flight, the crew encountered several rain showers, prompting the captain to use the carburetor heating system multiple times to mitigate potential icing.
As the aircraft was on final approach to Texel International Airport, the engine began making a rattling noise before failing completely at an altitude of approximately 500 feet. After an unsuccessful attempt to restart the engine, the captain executed an emergency landing in a flower field located in front of the runway. While the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear, both occupants remained unhurt.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the engine configuration and the cause of the power loss. It was discovered that the engine choke was extended and the carburetor heating was activated at the time of the incident. Testing revealed that this specific configuration causes the engine to fail when operating at low power settings, such as those required during a final approach.
The investigation also looked into the cockpit procedures regarding the engine start at Lelyst and the subsequent management of the controls. It was noted that the captain had instructed the second pilot to pull the choke out during the initial start to ensure sufficient power, but the second pilot had not fully pushed the choke back into the closed position after the engine was running.