What happened
On 27 July 2000, a Baron E55, registration ZS-PTB, was conducting a private flight from Lanseria towards Pietersburg. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and three passengers. Roughly 35 minutes into the flight, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions and initiated a return to Lanseria aerodrome.
While the aircraft was positioned in the landing circuit for runway 06 Left at an altitude of approximately 800 ft AGL, both engines failed at the same time. In an attempt to restore power, the pilot switched to the auxiliary tanks, but this action failed to rectify the situation. The pilot subsequently switched back to the main tanks, but the engines remained non-functional. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open field located about 1 nautical mile southwest of the aerodrome. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, there were no injuries to the four occupants.
The investigation
Investigators from the CAA arrived at the site shortly after the incident. Although the pilot had been requested to remain at the scene, the occupants had already departed by the time officials arrived.
Upon inspecting the fuel system, investigators drained 5.5 litres from the left main tank and 1.5 litres from the right main tank. The right auxiliary tank was found to be between half and three-quarters full, whereas the left auxiliary tank had ruptured and was empty. The aircraft is equipped with only two fuel quantity gauges, which can monitor either the main or auxiliary tanks depending on a two-position selector switch on the sub-panel.
During interviews, the pilot noted that the fuel gauges had remained stationary both during the initial fuel uplift and throughout the duration of the flight. This observation suggested a potential discrepancy between the fuel tank selection valve and the gauge selector switch.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
- The pilot had the main tanks selected via the fuel valve for the duration of the flight, which led to the depletion of the main fuel supply.
- There is evidence suggesting the pilot may have had the gauges set to monitor the auxiliary tanks via the selector switch, even though the main tanks were being utilized, which prevented the pilot from noticing the declining fuel levels in the main tanks.