History of Flight
On the morning of 10 August 2006, the pilot departed from Wonderboom Aerodrome on a private flight to Ulundi Aerodrome. En route, he landed at Kitty Hawk Aerodrome to pick up two passengers, including an employee of a vehicle tracking company, and at Witbank Aerodrome to collect two more passengers. After an uneventful flight to Ulundi, the return leg began at approximately 1230Z. The pilot dropped off two passengers at Witbank and then departed for Kitty Hawk with the remaining two. According to the pilot, sufficient fuel remained for about 1.5 hours of flight.
Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot began a descent for Kitty Hawk with full flaps at an indicated air speed of 65 to 70 knots. After broadcasting a right base call for runway 01 on frequency 120.65 MHz, the engine suddenly lost power and stopped. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the opposite tank and activated the boost pumps, but could not restore power. With power lines ahead and insufficient altitude to glide to the runway, he executed a forced landing on a grass field east of Kitty Hawk Aerodrome. The aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted, skidded about 40 meters, and ground-looped through 90 degrees before coming to rest.
Injuries
The pilot and the front-seat passenger were uninjured. The passenger seated in the left rear seat, the vehicle tracking company employee, sustained injuries to her back, neck, and pelvis. She later reported multiple strain and sprain injuries to her head, neck, and arm.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing tip, the undersurface of the fuselage, and the propeller blades. There was no pre- or post-impact fire, and no damage to property on the ground.
Probable Cause
The fuel tank outlets became uncovered when the pilot maneuvered the aircraft while the fuel tanks were less than one-quarter full. This resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent engine stoppage.