What happened
On 12 January 2007, a private flight departed from Tweedraai Farm Aerodrome in Mpumalanga, bound for Rustenburg Aerodrome. Shortly after takeoff, while the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the pilot noticed a decay in engine revolutions per minute (RPM).
In an attempt to return to the runway, the pilot attempted to fly a full circuit. However, the aircraft began to lose both airspeed and altitude. Faced with diminishing performance, the pilot opted to perform a forced landing on a road located on the Tweedraai Farm. The impact was heavy, causing the undercarriage of the Cubby, registration ZU-DLH, to collapse. The pilot escaped the incident without 0 injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the engine failure and the pilot's subsequent maneuvers. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's last annual inspection had been completed on 20 June 2006, at which time the airframe had recorded 81.0 hours. Since that inspection, the aircraft had been operated for an additional 39.0 hours.
Findings
- The primary factor in the unsuccessful landing was a decay in engine RPM, the specific underlying cause of which remained undetermined.
- The pilot's decision to attempt a full circuit rather than executing a teardrop maneuver contributed to the outcome. A teardrop pattern might have preserved enough airspeed to maintain altitude and successfully return to the runway.