Incident Overview
On 7 March 2006 at 1355Z, a Cessna 152 (registration ZS-PIE) on a cross-country training flight experienced an engine failure near Klein Brak River-Hartenbos, close to Mossel Bay. The aircraft departed from George Aerodrome (FAGG) and was conducting a training flight with a student pilot on board. The flight route included legs to Oudtshoorn and Swellendam before returning to FAGG.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot reported that he departed FAGG with a fuel endurance of four hours. After 3 hours and 24 minutes of flight, an engine failure occurred while on the final leg of the route. The pilot elected to perform a forced landing, which was completed successfully. Following the incident, an inspection by an Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) revealed that the fuel tanks were empty. The aircraft had taken off with full tanks, and fuel bay operators confirmed that the fuel load was correct.
Meteorological Conditions
At the time of the incident, weather conditions were CAVOK with wind from 130° at 8 knots, temperature 24°C, dew point 8°C, and no cloud cover.
Aircraft and Personnel
The aircraft, a Cessna 152, sustained no damage. The student pilot, who held a valid license with 13.6 hours on type, was uninjured. The aircraft had undergone its last Mandatory Periodical Inspection on 29 March 2006 at 1796.1 flying hours and had operated an additional 42.8 hours since then.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion due to fuel mismanagement. The aircraft's fuel tanks were found empty after the incident, indicating that the fuel supply was not managed correctly during the flight.