On the day of the accident, EI-CIZ flew from Coonagh airfield to appear at the Ardfert Festival. After a display lasting 18 minutes the aircraft landed at Ardfert airstrip, a private field where the pilot enjoyed a 20 minute break with colleagues from Coonagh. On departure from the airfield, the pilot performed a number of aerobatic manoeuvers along the runway axis and in the final roll the engine was heard to 'bang' and 'splutter' as it cut out. The pilot who was in a climbing roll managed to straighten the aircraft's wings before impacting the corner of a field adjacent to the airfield, finally coming to rest on a boundary wall.
The report found that the pilot was medically fit at the time of the accident and that no failure on the aircraft could have contributed to the accident. The report focuses strongly on the design of fuel tank on the aircraft. The Skybolt is fitted with two fuel tanks - an upper ferry tank and a lower tank which is divided and internally baffled in such a way as to ensure fuel flow throughout the entire flight envelope, including high speed manoeuvering or where sudden changes in attitude occur. In the case of EI-CIZ, the report finds that in certain conditions, and with as much as 34 litres of fuel remaining in the lower tank, the fuel inlet would become uncovered, leading to a loss of fuel flow to the engine. Analysis of the engine and propeller indicated that the latter was turning at a slow speed at the time of ground impact.
The report finds that the cause of the accident was the sudden stoppage of the engine due to fuel starvation during a climbing roll to the right. Contributory factors were uncovering of the fuel inlet tube, conducting aerobatic manoeuvers (high fuel consumption) having used the upper section of the lower fuel tank and having insufficient altitude to allow the pilot effect a recovery following engine failure.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment