Background
The accident involved a Cessna T210L aircraft, registration ZS-MBC, operated as a private flight. The pilot, aged 53, held a valid private pilot license. Total flying hours and hours on type were unspecified. The flight departed from Lanseria with the pilot and five passengers, destined for Louis Trichard to drop off the passengers.
Accident
On 12 February 2002 at 1200Z, during the return leg from Louis Trichard to Lanseria, approximately 3 nautical miles northwest of Freeway Aerodrome in the Pretoria General Flying Training Area No. 1, the pilot encountered engine problems. The pilot executed a forced landing in an open field obstructed by telephone wires and dense bush at the end of the landing path. During the landing, the aircraft severed telephone wires and collided with the bush. The pilot escaped unhurt; the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Meteorological conditions were reported as CAVOK. There was one person on board according to the official count, though the synopsis mentions five passengers; no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Probable Cause
The probable cause was fuel exhaustion leading to engine failure, prompting the pilot to carry out a forced landing in an open field.