Incident Overview
On 27 March 2001 at approximately 0725Z, a Piper PA 34-220T aircraft registered ZS-MNJ was operating a charter flight from Virginia Aerodrome to Lanseria Airport. The aircraft had four persons on board. Weather conditions were fine.
Sequence of Events
During the cruise phase in the Harrismith area, the left-hand engine lost power. The pilot reported that the time to reach Frankfort would have been about 20 minutes. He was not comfortable increasing the right-hand engine to maximum power for an extended period, so he increased it to approximately 85% power and continued a slow descent.
When the aircraft reached the main road from Vrede to Frankfort at about 200 feet above ground level, the pilot elected to land on the road. The landing was successful, and the aircraft was rolled off the road surface into a safe area.
Investigation Findings
During the incident investigation, it was determined that the number six cylinder of the left-hand engine had failed due to a fatigue crack in the cylinder head.