| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. |
What happened
On 22 June 2018, a Jabiru J160-C was conducting a training flight. The crew consisted of a student (the pilot flying) and an instructor (the pilot monitoring).
Approximately 90 minutes into a planned two hour flight, the student attempted a touch and go. The engine failed on the runway and the aircraft rolled to a stop. The instructor advised Air Traffic Control and attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine.
The instructor and student pushed the aircraft onto an adjacent grass taxiway. The crew were able to restart the engine and taxi to the apron area.
Post-flight, the right wing fuel cap was found to be loose. After refitting the cap, the aircraft returned to service.
Safety message
ATSB publication Avoidable Accidents No. 5 - Starved and exhausted: Fuel management aviation accidents found from 2001 to 2011, accidents involving fuel starvation resulted in 10 fatalities and 18 serious injuries.
Fuel starvation happens when the fuel supply to the engine(s) is interrupted although there is adequate fuel on board.
This incident reinforces the need to:
- conduct a thorough pre-flight inspection
- determine prior to flight the expected rate of fuel consumption
- monitor fuel consumption during flight
- be fully familiar with the fuel systems operation.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.