What happened
On 8 October 2021, a Jabiru J430 with registration ZU-EFW departed George Airport in the Western Cape for a private cross-country flight to John Weston Airfield in the Northern Cape. The flight, operated under visual flight rules, was carrying a pilot and three passengers.
While descending toward Runway 02 at approximately 10-foot altitude, the pilot noticed the engine running roughly. Due to the presence of cattle on the runway, the pilot initiated a go-around. Although the engine continued to run unevenly at higher power settings, the pilot attempted a second approach. During the base leg of the circuit, the engine ceased operation entirely.
While the pilot initially believed there was sufficient glide distance to reach the runway, a sudden downdraft during the final approach reduced the available distance. This necessitated an emergency forced landing in an open area just short of the runway threshold. During the impact, the right main landing gear strut severed, the nose gear collapsed, and the right wing tip struck the ground, leaving the aircraft resting on its right side. There were no injuries to the four occupants, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft following the accident provided critical insights into the engine failure. Post-accident inspections of the engine revealed that both ignition coil leads had become disconnected during flight. This disconnection was attributed to the leads not being properly secured with cable ties.
Records indicated that the aircraft had undergone its most recent maintenance inspection on the very same day as the accident. It was determined that while the maintenance professional likely reconnected the ignition coil leads, they failed to secure them in place. Additionally, the pilot confirmed that sufficient fuel was on board for the flight, as evidenced by a photograph of the fuel gauge taken after the event.