What happened
On 30 January 2025, a private flight traveling from Margate Aerodrome to Ladysmith Aerodrome experienced a critical engine failure. The aircraft, a Thunderbird MKII with registration ZU-SPS, was operating under visual meteorological conditions in KwaZulu-Natal. After taking off from Runway 05 and climbing to 1,500 feet, the pilot leveled off at a cruising speed of 75 mph. Approximately 25 kilometers west of Howick, the engine began running roughly, and the RPM dropped from 6200 to 6000.
Despite the pilot activating the auxiliary fuel supply to address the perceived lack of fuel flow, the engine power could not be restored. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing on a farm. While there were no fatalities and the pilot escaped without injury, the aircraft sustained substantial damage during the impact.
The investigation
Following the accident, investigators examined the wreckage and the engine components. The propeller showed no signs of damage, which supported the conclusion that the engine was not producing power at the moment of impact. The engine was transported to Brakpan Aerodrome for a detailed analysis.
Testing of the fuel samples retrieved from the fuel filters revealed the presence of water and unidentified contaminants. These contaminants had clogged the filters, leading to fuel starvation. The fuel itself was identified as Octane 95 Unleaded mixed with two-stroke oil, which the pilot had purchased from a service station in Margate the previous day.