1999 Piper PA-18-150 Accident at Magaliesburg (ZS-WSB)

Accident Overview and Aircraft Details On 26 February 1999, a Piper PA-18-150 with registration ZS-WSB, operated by the Magalies Gliding Club, was involved in an accident near Magaliesburg. The aircraft was owned by the Magalies Gliding Club. The pilot-in-command was a 75-year-old holder of a private pilot licence with 11,037 total flying hours. The accident occurred at 1300Z, with the pilot killed and no other persons on board. ## Operational Context and Weather The aircraft departed from the Magalies Gliding Club Airfield. Prior to the accident, the aircraft was refuelled with 47.4 litres of fuel from a drum, filling the right-hand tank to its 68-litre capacity and the left-hand tank to approximately 35 litres. A test flight was conducted after maintenance work, including the replacement of one cylinder and rectification of a magneto defect. The pilot then performed 13 glider tug launches. ## Accident Sequence At 1306Z, after releasing the last glider, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of power. Restart attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot attempted a forced landing in an open field, but the right-hand wing struck a blue gum tree. The aircraft landed heavily, the undercarriage collapsed, and the left-hand wing contacted the ground. ## Probable Cause and Contributing Factors The investigation concluded that the pilot most probably neglected to comply with fuel management procedures, as approximately 35 litres of fuel remained in the left-hand tank. A contributing factor was a restriction in the right-hand fuel tank sight glass indicating ball at the ¼ fuel tank 'flight level' marking, where the sight glass had been previously repaired.