What happened
On 19 March 1999, a Cessna 182, registration ZS-NNX, departed from Grand Central Aerodrome en route to a private airfield at Blydepoort. The flight was operated privately and carried the pilot and three passengers. Prior to arrival, the pilot performed an inspection of the unmanned Blydepoort aerodrome, noting that the runway grass had been recently maintained and deemed the surface suitable for landing.
During the landing sequence on Runway 01, the aircraft touched down at approximately 65 knots. Immediately upon contact, the pilot experienced a significant impact and a sharp pull to the left. In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft and soften the descent for a subsequent touchdown, the pilot applied full power while attempting to maintain wing leveling. However, a second heavy impact occurred, causing the aircraft to depart the runway and enter the long grass. As the aircraft decelerated, the nose wheel struck a ditch, causing the aircraft to tilt forward before settling back onto its main landing gear.
The investigation
Following the excursion, the pilot notified Lowveld Information via radio. During the event, fuel began leaking into the cockpit area. In response, the pilot took immediate safety measures by closing the throttle and cutting both the magnetos and electrical power. All four occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft without any reported injuries.
In the aftermath, efforts were made to push the aircraft backward out of the ditch to level the wings, a maneuver intended to mitigate the fuel leak originating from the right-hand tank.