What happened
On 16 June 2021, a Piper PA-46-350P (registration ZS-OIK) was prepared for a private flight from Virginia Aerodrome in KwaZulu-Natal to Rand Aerodrome. The flight was being conducted under visual meteorological conditions by a pilot accompanied by one passenger.
During the takeoff roll on Runway 23, the pilot identified that the engine was failing to produce the required power. Specifically, the manifold pressure was recorded at 39 inches, falling short of the maximum 42 inches. Because of this power deficiency, the aircraft failed to reach the recommended rotation speed of 80 to 85 knots. The pilot rotated the aircraft at approximately 65 knots. By the time the decision was made to abort the takeoff, the aircraft had already progressed too far down the runway. The aircraft overshot the runway end and came to rest in the grass. The impact caused the nose gear strut to collapse and the propeller to strike the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries to the two occupants.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the aircraft's performance and technical data. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft was within weight and balance limits and was carrying 100 gallons of Avgas 100LL. While the required takeoff distance with 10-degree flaps was approximately 1475 feet, the available runway length was 3035 feet.
Investigators attempted to review data from a JPI engine monitoring instrument installed in the aircraft. However, the device did not contain any data from the flight in question; the most recent recorded data was from October 2020.