Jabiru J430 Fuel Starvation Incident at George Aerodrome (ZU-EBH)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 2 August 2011, a Jabiru J430 aeroplane, registration ZU-EBH, was involved in a serious incident during a post-maintenance test flight at George Aerodrome (FAGG) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The aircraft was operated by Shadow Lite CC and owned by All About Flying (Pty) Ltd. The pilot, a 50-year-old male holding a valid private pilot licence, was the sole occupant. Following a pre-flight inspection, the pilot refuelled the aircraft with 20 litres of Avgas 100LL at the aerodrome fuel depot. After establishing radio communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC), the pilot taxied to the holding point for Runway 29, performed an engine power check, and waited for other traffic to clear. The aircraft then took off and joined a left downwind for Runway 11 following a runway change. The pilot completed a touch-and-go manoeuvre and re-joined the circuit, becoming fourth in the queue for the approach. ## Engine Failure and Forced Landing While positioned on a late downwind at approximately 1,500 feet above ground level, the cockpit fuel warning light illuminated. A few seconds later, the engine began to splutter and subsequently stopped. The pilot immediately broadcast a PAN-PAN on the tower frequency and turned toward the runway. Although ATC granted priority clearance to land on Runway 11, the pilot was unable to stretch the glide to the runway and selected an open field on a nearby farm for a forced landing. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a barbed wire fence, resulting in substantial damage. The impact broke one propeller blade, the windscreen, and the lower engine cowling. Approximately 28 metres of the five-strand barbed wire fence was also damaged. The pilot was properly restrained by the safety harness and was not injured. There was no pre- or post-impact fire. ## Aircraft and Maintenance Details The Jabiru J430, serial number 262, was manufactured in 2006 and had 712.0 airframe hours at the time of the incident. The aircraft was powered by a Jabiru 3300 engine and equipped with a Sensenich propeller. Recent maintenance included the removal of the electric flap system and its replacement with a manually operated system, as well as the replacement of the propeller. The Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) that performed the last maintenance held a valid approval certificate. ## Probable Cause and Contributory Factors The investigation determined that the probable cause of the incident was an unsuccessful forced landing due to fuel starvation. A contributory factor was identified as an inadequate pre-flight inspection, specifically the failure to ensure that the two dual inlet fuel taps located within the door pillars were in the open or on position prior to the flight. The aircraft's fuel system is pump-fed from two main wing tanks via these taps to a header tank with a capacity of 6.5 litres, which then feeds the carburettor through a filter and a third fuel tap/shut-off valve assembly.