What Happened
On Sunday, 1 October 2023 at 0554Z, a Cessna 210 aircraft with registration ZS-MTM was involved in an accident on a private farm in Waterberg, Limpopo province. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was conducted under Part 91 of the Civil Aviation Regulations.
The pilot, who had flown from Wonderboom Airport (FAWB) on 29 September 2023 with two passengers, had experienced an earlier incident when an oil cap was left off during takeoff, causing an air turn back. The aircraft was subsequently serviced and flown to the private farm without further issues.
On the morning of 1 October, the pilot conducted a pre-flight check, including fuel inspection, and found everything satisfactory. The takeoff on a gravel runway in a south-westerly direction was uneventful. At 250 feet above ground level, during after-takeoff checks, the pilot retracted the landing gear, set power to 2500 rpm, raised flaps, and left the mixture unchanged at 100 pounds per hour. The aircraft then experienced an engine power loss.
The pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching fuel tank feeders and activating the auxiliary fuel pump, but without success. He identified an open field approximately 1.2 kilometers ahead for a forced landing and broadcast the situation. To avoid drag over mountainous terrain, he chose not to extend the landing gear.
During the forced landing, the aircraft impacted three treetops with the bottom fuselage, then the left wing, and skidded on the grass for about 70 meters. The right wing hit a tree stem, causing the aircraft to spin clockwise before stopping facing north. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the bottom fuselage, both wing leading edges, wing tip covers, right-side elevator, engine cowlings, and propeller blades. After the accident, one passenger helped the pilot and the other passenger evacuate; all three occupants sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to Mediclinic in Limpopo.
Post-Accident Inspection
The on-site investigation revealed the aircraft resting on its belly, tilted to the right, with landing gear fully retracted. No damage was noted on the fuel tanks, and no fuel was found in them. The cockpit inspection showed the landing gear lever in the UP position, flight controls intact with continuity, and the throttle bent but operative. A post-accident interview with the pilot indicated fuel dripping from the left wing root area, but first responders and the recovery team found no fuel spillage or leaks. The mixture control lever was in the full rich position. The engine was examined in the field and later in a controlled environment, revealing no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented power production.
Investigation Findings
A review of aircraft maintenance documents showed no recorded issues with the fuel system. The flight folio indicated that 228 liters of fuel were uplifted on 25 September 2023 prior to a 0.6-hour flight. The aircraft flew 1.2 hours total after that upliftment. Fuel calculations suggested sufficient fuel should have remained, but none was found in the tanks and no spillage was observed. The weight and balance calculations on the day of the accident indicated a total weight of 3195 lbs, within the maximum allowable takeoff weight of 3400 lbs.