What happened
On the morning of 27 April 2025, a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub, registration ZU-ASI, departed Rand Aerodrome in Gauteng for a private flight to Brits Aerodrome in the North West Province. The flight was being conducted under visual meteorological conditions by a pilot and one passenger.
After climbing to 7,500 feet and cruising at approximately 10/0 mph, the aircraft began its approach to Runway 20 at Brits Aerodrome. During this phase of flight, the engine lost power and ceased operation. The pilot attempted an emergency landing on a narrow gravel road located roughly 3 nautical miles north of the aerodrome. During the landing roll, the aircraft ground-looped to the left, causing the right wing tip and right elevator to strike the ground, while the left wing leading edge also sustained damage. Despite the substantial damage to the aircraft, there were no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the aircraft following the incident. An inspection by an approved person confirmed that the fuel tank caps were properly secured. However, upon opening the caps, the fuel tanks were found to be empty. The investigation also noted that the fuel filter and gascolator contained no fuel.
Technical data revealed that the aircraft's engine, a Lycoming O-320, has a fuel consumption rate of 9 US gallons per hour at 75 percent power. During the pre-flight inspection, the pilot had noted only 9 US gallons of Avgas 100LL available in the tanks. Given the aircraft's total capacity of 18 US gallons, the investigation established that the aircraft was operating with a critically low fuel supply.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
- The pilot departed the aerodrome with insufficient fuel for the intended flight.
- The incident was further contributed to by improper flight planning and poor airmanship.