What happened
On the morning of 1 October 2023, a Cessna T210N, registration ZS-MTM, departed from a private farm airstrip in the Waterberg region of Limpopo province. The flight, conducted under Part 9 and involving a pilot and two passengers, was intended to return to Wonderboom Airport.
During the initial climb, after reaching approximately 250 feet above ground level, the aircraft suffered a sudden loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching fuel tanks and activating the auxiliary fuel pump, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Recognizing the emergency, the pilot identified an open field roughly 1.2 kilometers away and broadcasted intentions for a forced landing. To maintain glide speed over the mountainous terrain, the pilot chose to keep the landing gear retracted.
The aircraft subsequently struck several treetops, causing the fuselage and wings to sustain heavy damage. The aircraft then impacted the ground, skidding across a grass field before a tree stem struck the right wingtip, causing the plane to spin. The three occupants sustained serious injuries and required medical evacuation to a hospital in Limpopo.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the aircraft's maintenance history. The investigation noted that two days prior to the accident, the aircraft had performed an air turn-back at Wonderboom Airport due to an oil leak caused by an improperly fitted oil cap. While the cap was subsequently corrected, the incident was not officially recorded in the flight logs.
Post-accident inspections of the engine and fuel systems revealed no mechanical defects or pre-existing anomalies that would have prevented the engine from producing power. Notably, although fuel calculations suggested there should have been enough fuel remaining for the flight, investigators found the fuel tanks to be completely empty. No evidence of fuel leaks or spills was found at the crash site, despite the pilot's initial observation of dripping fuel near the wing root.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine stoppage was fuel exhaustion.
- A contributing factor was an insufficient or non-existent pre-flight inspection, as the aircraft was found to be empty of fuel despite calculations indicating sufficient reserves.
- The aircraft's fuel mixture was found in the full rich position, and the landing gear remained retracted during the impact sequence.