Cessna 182P Accident at Cato Ridge Aerodrome (ZS-BRU)

Accident Overview and Flight History On 14 February 2009, a Cessna 182P with registration ZS-BRU departed runway 35 at Cato Ridge Aerodrome in KwaZulu-Natal province for a skydiving exercise. The aircraft was operated by Kwikcorp and carried a pilot, five skydivers, and one child passenger. Before departure, the aircraft was fueled with 105 litres of Avgas LL 100. Immediately after take-off, during the climb phase at approximately 900 feet above ground level, the engine stopped. The pilot informed the occupants that the aircraft could not maintain altitude. Two skydivers exited the aircraft at approximately 500 feet above ground level, deployed their emergency parachutes, and landed safely. The pilot then initiated an emergency landing in an uneven, grass-covered field near KwaXimba Village, about 1.6 nautical miles north of the aerodrome. ## Impact and Injuries The aircraft struck the ground nose-wheel first, causing the nose strut to collapse. The right-hand main landing gear and right-hand wing then contacted the ground, and the aircraft flipped over. The aircraft was destroyed. One tandem passenger was fatally injured. The pilot, a tandem skydiver, a student skydiver, and the child passenger sustained serious injuries. ## Aircraft and Operational Details The aircraft was a 1972 Cessna 182P, serial number 182-60977, powered by a Continental IO-550-D engine. It was fitted with a Hartzell three-blade constant-speed propeller. The aircraft was operated with one door removed, a configuration approved for skydiving operations under specific limitations. The pilot was a 33-year-old South African commercial pilot with 344.5 total flying hours and 30.5 hours on type. The accident occurred in daylight under visual flight rules conditions, with surface winds of 030° at 3 knots, a temperature of 27°C, and visibility greater than 10 km.