What happened
On the night of 25 October 2001, a Mooney M20C, registration ZS-NYU, departed from FAWB on a private VFR night flight intended for Kuruman. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and two passengers. Shortly after departure, the flight encountered deteriorating weather conditions characterized by thunderstorms, rain, and drizzle.
Following the encounter with bad weather, the pilot returned to FAWB. At the time of the return, the airfield was experiencing a total power failure, leaving the runway lights inoperable. The pilot spent approximately 15 minutes in the circuit attempting to activate the runway lights via remote control, but these efforts were unsuccessful. After attempting to continue the route, the pilot found the weather had worsened and moved closer to the airfield. A diversion to Pilanesberg was also ruled out due to the weather. Consequently, the pilot decided to attempt a landing on Runway 11 without any airfield lighting.
During the landing attempt, the aircraft drifted to the left of the runway centerline. The propeller struck a PAPI light, destroying the unit. While the three occupants escaped the aircraft without injury, the Mooney M20C sustained significant damage to the propeller, the nose landing gear doors, and the lower belly area behind the nose gear.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the runway excursion and the environmental factors present at FAWB. Investigators confirmed that the pilot held a valid private license, a night rating, and a medical certificate. Maintenance records indicated that the aircraft had been properly maintained.
It was established that the pilot did not obtain an official weather report prior to the flight, relying instead on information retrieved from the internet. Furthermore, no weather information was obtained regarding the intended destination of Kuruman. The investigation also confirmed the lack of operational airfield lighting due to the local power outage.