What happened
On 23 May 2007, a Reims Cessna F182Q, registration G-BGFH, was conducting a private flight from Eddsfield, Yorkshire, to Cumbernauld. During the flight, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather, including 40-knot headwinds and a lowered cloud base. While orbiting near the Bridges to manage air traffic in the Edinburgh control zone, the pilot noted a significant imbalance between the fuel tanks, with the left tank reading 3/4 full and the right tank indicating a critically low level.
Shortly after this observation, the engine began misfiring and subsequently failed. Unable to reach alternative airfields, the pilot performed a forced landing in a field approximately 2.5 nm north-west of Burntisland. During the landing attempt, the aircraft struck the ground heavily, causing the nosewheel to shear off and the propeller to bend. There were no fatalities and no injuries to the two occupants. However, the aircraft was later destroyed by a fire started by vandals at the crash site.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the engine failure and the fuel system configuration of the aircraft. The investigation focused on whether the engine stoppage was caused by fuel starvation. The pilot attempted to use carburettor heat and the mechanical fuel primer, but the primer provided no resistance, suggesting fuel was no longer reaching the carburettor.
Investigators also reviewed the fuel system design. While the Reims flight manual did not explicitly mention fuel transferring between tanks, the Cessna manual for the same model warned that unequal fuel flow could occur if the aircraft was not maintained level. The investigation considered how the prolonged orbiting maneuvers might have influenced fuel levels.
Findings
- The engine failure was likely caused by fuel starvation.
- During the extended period of orbiting, the pilot may have been flying in an uncoordinated manner, leading to fuel transferring from the right tank to the left tank.
- The fuel quantity indicators may have provided inaccurate readings due to the aircraft's flight attitude during slips or skids.
- The lack of resistance in the fuel primer indicated that the fuel supply to the engine had been interrupted.