Introduction
On 4 January 2003, a Cessna T210L aircraft, registered ZS-JWL, was involved in an accident near Atlantis, South Africa. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, but all five occupants escaped unharmed. The accident occurred during daylight conditions.
Flight History
The pilot, holding a valid commercial licence and medical certificate, had been converted onto the aircraft the day before departure from Cape Town to Oranjemund on 2 January 2003. The flight carried four passengers and was conducted at low level. Upon arrival at Oranjemund, the pilot could not locate the airfield due to adverse weather and proceeded to Noordoewer. After confusion regarding customs clearance, clearance was eventually obtained at Rosh Pihna mine, where the pilot noted that the runway had been replaced by a road in a suburban area. Continuing west to Oranjemund, a passenger sighted the new airfield at Scorpion mine, where the aircraft landed. No fuel was available at Scorpion mine, but the tour operator arranged for 210 litres of AVGAS to be transported by road from Springbok.
On 4 January 2003, after refuelling to 450 lbs (225 lbs per tank) of AVGAS, the pilot departed Noordoewer for Rosh Pihna mine to clear customs. Finding no customs officials, the flight proceeded to Oranjemund, where customs were cleared. The subsequent flight from Oranjemund to Cape Town was conducted at low level with a rich mixture setting (95–100 lbs per hour) in strong headwind conditions. The pilot considered landing at Saldahna for refuelling but decided to continue after estimating remaining fuel endurance at 1.5 hours and time to destination at 1 hour. At Bok Point, the pilot intended to perform a precautionary landing at Delta 200 due to low fuel, but approximately 5 nautical miles north of Delta 200, the engine failed.
Forced Landing and Outcome
A forced landing was executed at the Atlantis Water Authority Reserve. During the landing, the nose wheel entered soft sand on uneven terrain, causing the aircraft to nose over onto its roof. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, but all five occupants (one pilot and four passengers) were uninjured.
Probable Cause
According to the South African Civil Aviation Authority report, the engine failed as a result of fuel exhaustion during the flight from Oranjemund to Cape Town, leading to the forced landing.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft had a valid Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) certified on 17 December 2002, and it had flown 77 hours since that inspection. Meteorological conditions at the accident site were recorded as south-westerly wind at 25 knots, temperature +25°C, and fine visibility.