What happened
On 19 March 2006, a Rans S6-ES Coyote II, registration G-BZKF, was conducting a private flight in the local area after departing from Eshott Airfield. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of roughly 900 ft, the engine began running unevenly before eventually stopping.
The pilot immediately identified a suitable field for an emergency landing. Although a restart attempt was successful, the engine continued to run poorly, prompting the pilot to shut it down. The pilot managed to execute a successful forced landing, carefully holding the aircraft airborne for as long as possible before touchdown. Upon contact with the ground, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to pitch forward. This resulted in no injuries to the pilot, but the propeller, nose cowling, and nose landing gear sustained damage.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation focused on the cause of the engine failure and the subsequent damage to the aircraft. Examination of the Rotax 582-48 engine revealed that it had seized. While this engine type typically operates using a gasoline and 2% oil mixture from a separate tank, this specific unit was fitted with an integrated oil pump.
Investigators discovered that the engine's oil tank was entirely empty. Although the pilot had checked the oil level before departure and noted that some oil was present, the subsequent loss of oil led to the mechanical failure. Additionally, the investigation noted that recent heavy rainfall had left the ground in a waterlogged state, which likely contributed to the nose gear failure during the landing.
Findings
- The engine failure was caused by engine seizure due to a lack of lubrication.
- The engine's oil tank was found to be empty at the time of the accident.
- The collapse of the nose landing gear was likely exacerbated by the waterlogged condition of the ground following recent heavy rain.