What happened
On 4 January 2003, a Cessna T210L, registration ZS-JWL, was conducting an international flight from Oranjemund, Namibia, toward Cape Town, South Africa. The flight, which included the pilot and four passengers, was being operated at a low altitude. During the journey, the pilot encountered strong headwinds and maintained a rich mixture setting, consuming fuel at a rate of approximately 95 to 100 lbs per hour.
While the pilot had considered stopping at Saldanha to refuel, the decision was made to proceed to the final destination. At one point, the pilot estimated a remaining fuel endurance of 1.5 hours against a remaining flight time of 1 hour. Upon reaching Bok Point, the pilot initiated a precautionary landing at Delta 200 due to concerns regarding low fuel levels. However, roughly 5 nautical miles north of the intended landing site, the engine ceased operation. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing within the Atlantis Water Authority Reserve. Although the aircraft sustained significant damage and overturned onto its roof after the nose wheel encountered uneven terrain and soft sand, there were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight sequence, the fuel management decisions, and the mechanical state of the aircraft. It was noted that the pilot had recently completed a type conversion on the aircraft only one day prior to the initial departure from Cape Town. The aircraft's last mandatory periodic inspection had been completed on 17 December 2002, with 77 flight hours accumulated since that service.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine failure was fuel exhaustion.
- The pilot's decision to continue the flight without refueling, despite estimating tight margins, contributed to the loss of power.
- The aircraft's subsequent inversion during the forced landing was caused by the nose wheel sinking into soft sand and uneven ground.