What happened
On June 7, 2023, a Cessna 207A, registration TC-SHF, was performing a VFR navigation flight from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to Nevşehir Cappadocia Airport. While cruising at 4,500 feet, approximately 18 nautical miles from the destination, the engine failed. The crew attempted to restart the engine; however, after a brief period of operation, the engine failed again.
Faced with a total loss of power, the pilot decided to perform an emergency landing in an open field in the Ortaköy district of Aksaray. The aircraft successfully reached the plowed field, but due to the soft nature of the terrain, the nose gear sank into the ground. This caused the aircraft to pitch forward, resulting in a nose-over accident. There were no fatalities or injuries among the two occupants, though the aircraft sustained heavy damage, including structural deformation to the fuselage, damage to the tail, and broken cockpit windows.
The investigation
The UEİM investigation focused on the cause of the engine failure and the circumstances leading to the forced landing. Investigators performed a technical examination of the Continental TSIO-520-M engine on a test bench. While minor performance deviations were noted, the engine was not found to have any mechanical defects significant enough to cause the failure.
Investigators also reviewed the aircraft's maintenance logs, weight and balance records, and fuel documentation. The investigation noted that the aircraft's flight log lacked entries regarding the specific amount of fuel on board at the start of the flight. Furthermore, the investigation examined the pilot's statements regarding the engine's behavior prior to the failure.
Findings
- The engine failure was preceded by irregular engine operation and a failure to maintain required RPM.
- The crew reported that activating the fuel pump allowed the engine to run briefly before failing again, suggesting that insufficient fuel may have been the primary cause.
- The aircraft's weight and balance form was found to be incomplete, lacking the pilot's name and signature.
- There was no record in the aircraft's flight log of the actual fuel quantity present at the start of the flight.
- The selected alternate airport was approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes away, and calculations indicated that the available fuel would not have been sufficient to divert to that location.
- The aircraft was not equipped with a required Aircraft Tracking System (HATS).