Incident Overview
On 5 September 2024, at approximately 1350Z, a Piper PA-32RT-300T aircraft, registration ZS-NSX, was involved in an accident during a private flight under Part 91 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations. The flight, conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) by day, originated from Postmasburg Aerodrome (FAPT) in the Northern Cape province with a planned destination of Chief David Stuurman Aerodrome (FAPE) in the Eastern Cape province. The aircraft had three persons on board: the pilot and two passengers. No injuries were reported, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Flight History
The previous day, 4 September 2024, the aircraft was refuelled with 237 litres of Aviation Gasoline 100 Low-Lead (Avgas 100LL) at FAPE, bringing the total fuel on board to 370 litres, providing an endurance of approximately 6.5 hours. The aircraft was parked overnight on the apron outside the hangar at FAPE. The pilot attempted to park inside but could not open the hangar doors. On the morning of the accident, the pilot conducted a pre-flight inspection but omitted checking the fuel levels in the tanks, as he had been present during the refuelling the previous day. The pilot and passengers then departed for FAPT. The outbound flight lasted 2.7 hours, consuming approximately 200 litres of fuel. No fuel was added at FAPT before the return leg. The remaining fuel was estimated at 170 litres, sufficient for approximately 2.0 hours of flight (2.2 hours with reserves).
Accident Sequence
As the aircraft entered the FAPE controlled airspace, the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC), reported his position, and received clearance to join the right circuit for landing on Runway 26. Approximately 6 nautical miles north of FAPE, while descending, the engine surged briefly. The pilot activated the electrical fuel pump and switched the fuel tank selector to the right tank; the engine recovered but stopped several minutes later. The pilot informed ATC of a fuel-related engine power loss and began scanning for a forced landing site. Observing heavy traffic on the N2 and R75 roads, he chose a public road in the Algoa Park residential area. Due to space constraints, the pilot decided on a wheels-up landing. The aircraft initially touched down on grass on the left side of the road, then skidded on its belly for approximately 115 metres. It struck a tree with its left wing (mid leading edge) about 29 metres after touchdown, then a second tree 15 metres further, impacting the left-wing tip. The aircraft rotated 90° to the left and skidded over a speed hump before impacting a steel streetlight pole approximately 40 metres after the second tree, severing the empennage. The aircraft then ground-looped 180° to the right and came to rest 15 metres from the pole. The pilot and passengers disembarked unassisted.
Post-Accident Examination
Post-accident inspection by an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) revealed that both fuel tanks were empty, with no fuel spillage at the site. The pilot suspected fuel theft overnight due to the aircraft being parked outside, but closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a nearby hangar was unavailable, as the camera had stopped recording approximately 30 minutes before the aircraft was parked. A fuel slip confirmed the 237-litre refuelling at FAPE. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, as reported by the South African Weather Service, included wind from 240° at 18 knots gusting to 28 knots, visibility of 10 kilometres or more, and clear skies.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Piper PA-32RT-300T (serial number 32R-7987-300T), a single-engine, low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear and a T-tail. It was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD engine rated at 300 horsepower. The fuel system had a total capacity of 98 U.S. gallons (370 litres), with 94 U.S. gallons (355.8 litres) usable. The average fuel consumption was approximately 19 U.S. gallons (72 litres) per hour.