What happened
On 14 January 2001, a PA30, registered as ZS-JMR, departed from Grand Central Airport on a private flight destined for Rustenburg. Approximately five minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a malfunction in the right engine, which began running roughly. After being unable to resolve the issue, the pilot shut down the engine.
While attempting a return to Grand Central for a straight-in approach to runway 17, the left engine also began running poorly as the aircraft descended through 6,500 feet. With both engines compromised, the pilot executed a forced landing in a nearby grass field. Although the landing itself was successful, the aircraft struck a small, obscured embankment within the field, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. There were no fatalities and no injuries among the three people on board.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft at the accident site to determine the cause of the dual engine failure. The inspection revealed that the fuel selectors had been set to the tip tank positions. At the time of the incident, these tip tanks were empty, even though the main fuel tanks were at full capacity.