Incident Overview
On 22 August 2009, at approximately 10:45 UTC, a Cessna 172N aircraft, registration OK-JKF, performed a forced landing on agricultural land near the village of Měnín, Czech Republic. The aircraft, operated by F-Air s.r.o., had departed from Brno-Tuřany Airport (LKTB) earlier that day. The incident resulted in no damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the pilot or two passengers.
Flight Details
The pilot, a 28-year-old male holding a valid private pilot license with SEP/land rating and a night rating, planned a visual flight to southern Moravia without a flight plan. After a preflight inspection and engine test with normal parameters, the aircraft took off from runway 10 at LKTB at approximately 09:30 UTC. The flight proceeded over Buchlov, Lednicko-Valtický area, and Mušov before re-entering the Brno CTR via waypoint Zulu. While performing a right 180-degree turn over the village of Rajhrad, the engine stopped. The pilot attempted three restarts with the fuel selector in various positions—first 'Both', then 'Right', then again 'Both'—but the engine did not restart. The pilot then configured the aircraft for a forced landing, extending flaps, adjusting direction, and touching down on a field. The landing was communicated to Brno Tower.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 172N (serial number 172-71045) was manufactured in 1978 and had accumulated 5,485.15 total flight hours at the time of the incident. Its certificate of airworthiness was valid until 30 November 2009. The aircraft had been hangared and refueled at Hranice na Moravě airport from 10 to 19 July 2009, during which time an irregular engine operation was noted and addressed by flushing the fuel system. On 24 July 2009, a 200-hour inspection was completed, and the aircraft had flown 41 hours since then. No technical issues were recorded prior to the incident flight. A post-accident technical inspection of the engine and aircraft revealed no anomalies; an engine test run started normally and showed standard operational values.
Fuel Examination
Before the flight, the pilot assessed fuel quantities using cockpit gauges, indicating approximately one-third in the left tank and one-half in the right tank. After the forced landing, the fuel was drained and measured: left tank contained about 10 liters, right tank about 20 liters. Accounting for an estimated 5 liters consumed during a subsequent engine test and 2 liters taken for sampling, the remaining usable fuel was approximately 26 liters (with 5.5 liters per tank considered unusable). The fuel was identified as AVGAS 100LL based on its blue color and refueling records. The aircraft had been refueled at Brno LKTB with a total of 322 liters between 17 and 21 August 2009, but not to full tank capacity. Fuel level measurements from the filler openings showed the right tank level at 20 mm from the bottom and the left at 40–50 mm.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the incident, a cold front was moving eastward over the Vysočina region. Surface wind was from 250–320 degrees at 10–14 knots, with gusts up to 20–25 knots in showers or thunderstorms. Visibility exceeded 10 km, reducing to 5–8 km in precipitation. Cloud cover was scattered to broken at 3,000–3,500 feet, with towering cumulus and isolated cumulonimbus. METAR reports from Brno Airport near the time indicated variable winds, clear visibility, and scattered clouds.
No mechanical fault was identified as the cause of the engine stoppage. The aircraft was recovered without damage.