Cessna 177 Cardinal Accident at Baragwanath Aerodrome (ZS-EZM)

Accident Overview and Flight History On the morning of 7 December 2021, a Cessna 177 Cardinal with registration ZS-EZM was conducting a private flight under Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The aircraft departed from Grand Central Airport (FAGC) in Midrand, Gauteng Province, with the intention of landing at the Johannesburg South General Flying Area (GFA) before returning to FAGC. The flight was operated by a 23-year-old pilot holding a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with 724.1 total hours and 36.4 hours on type, accompanied by one passenger. No flight plan was filed for the operation, which took place in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day. After approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes of flight time, while cruising at 7,000 feet over the Lawley residential area in Lenasia, Johannesburg, the engine began to run rough and subsequently stopped. During fault-finding and restart procedures, the pilot observed that the fuel gauges indicated empty and presumed the stoppage was caused by fuel exhaustion. The pilot then initiated a glide toward Baragwanath Aerodrome (FASY), which was approximately 7 nautical miles from the aircraft's position. However, the aircraft lost altitude rapidly and undershot Runway 31 by approximately 300 metres. During the forced landing on hard, rugged terrain, the nose landing gear wheel impacted the ground, bringing the aircraft to an abrupt halt. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but neither the pilot nor the passenger was injured. Post-accident inspections revealed that both fuel tanks were empty, with fuel residue observed underneath the left fuel tank and along the cabin roof. An aircraft maintenance engineer who recovered the aircraft reported draining approximately 150 millilitres of fuel from both tanks and noted the absence of a fuel smell at the site.