What happened
On 3 February 2002, an Ayres S2R-331, registration ZS-LTM, was preparing for an agricultural crop-spraying mission at Mazabuka Aerodrome in Zambia. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. This loss of power caused the aircraft to veer toward the right side of the runway. The aircraft subsequently departed the paved surface and collided with an anthill located adjacent to the runway.
There were no injuries to the pilot, and no other occupants were on board at the time of the incident. The aircraft sustained damage to the engine, the propeller, the gate box, and the chemical spray pump.
The investigation
The investigation reviewed the maintenance history of the aircraft, noting that the most recent Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) had been completed on 20 August 2001, at 2,484.1 airframe hours. The maintenance was performed by an organization holding a valid AMO Approval (No. 149). Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident were reported as fine.
Because the accident occurred in Zambia, the official accident report was to be provided by the State of Occurrence. No official report from the Zambian authorities was obtained for this investigation.