What happened
On 7 March 2006, a Cessna 152, registration ZS-PIE, was conducting a cross-country training flight. The flight path originated from George Aerodrome (FAGG), with intended stops at Oudtshoorn and Swellendam. During the final leg of the journey, the student pilot experienced a sudden engine failure near the Klein Brak River-Hartenbos area, close to Mossel Bay.
In response to the loss of power, the pilot executed a forced landing. The maneuver was successful, and the aircraft remained intact without sustaining any damage. The pilot escaped the incident without any injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the engine failure and the aircraft's fuel state. Although the pilot reported departing George Aerodrome with a four-hour fuel endurance, a subsequent inspection of the fuel tanks by an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) revealed that the tanks were completely empty at the time of the incident. This finding was particularly notable because fuel bay operators had previously confirmed that the aircraft had taken off with full tanks.
Findings
- The engine failure was the direct result of fuel exhaustion.
- While the aircraft departed with sufficient fuel, the tanks were empty by the third hour and twenty-four minutes of the flight.
- It is possible that the pilot failed to properly manage the fuel mixture throughout the duration of the flight, leading to the depletion of available fuel.