What happened
On the morning of 29 November 2024, a Bat Hawk R aircraft, registration ZU-COC, was conducting a private game-capture flight near Lephalale, Limpopo. The mission, intended to assist farm management in tracking wild dogs, involved flying from Willow Valley Farm Airstrip to observe and assist in the sedation and tagging of animals.
After taking off and climbing to 300 feet, the pilot identified the target animals and initiated a right turn at 65 knots. While maneuvering in a tailwind and reducing speed to 55 knots, the aircraft's right wing suddenly dropped, resulting in a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently struck bushy terrain at Weltevreden Game Farm. While the pilot escaped the wreckage without injury, the passenger sustained serious injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the aircraft's maintenance and flight records. Physical inspection of the engine components revealed that the fuel filter, gascolator, and both carburettor bowls were empty. This lack of fuel indicated that the engine had ceased operation due to starvation.
Discrepancies were also noted in the pilot's fuel records. While the pilot believed he had replenished the aircraft with 50 litres of fuel recently, flight logs suggested the last recorded refueling occurred much earlier. Calculations based on flight durations and estimated burn rates showed approximately 16 litres of fuel were unaccountable, suggesting the aircraft was operating with less fuel than the pilot had estimated.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was fuel exhaustion, which led to the engine stopping in-flight.
- The pilot failed to verify the actual fuel quantity prior to departure, leading to a takeoff with insufficient fuel for the planned mission.
- The aircraft's operation was in contravention of civil aviation regulations regarding minimum fuel requirements.
- Contributing factors included poor airmanship and a failure to adhere to standard operating procedures.