What happened
On 16 January 2012, a Van’s RV7, registration ZU-LOL, departed from Runway 17 at Rand Airport for a private flight to Lanseria Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while the aircraft was performing a right-hand climbing turn, the engine backfired twice, lost power, and subsequently failed.
With the engine inoperative, the pilot was forced to execute an emergency landing on the grass area situated between Runways 35 and 11. During the touchdown, the right wing struck the ground first, causing the right landing gear to collapse, followed by the left gear. The aircraft came to a stop within approximately 50 metres. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, propeller, and landing gear, the pilot and passenger escaped the incident with no injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the engine failure. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the intended flight and that the fuel was free from contamination. An examination of the carburettor revealed no evidence of impurities.
Technical analysis focused on the engine's Generation 3 Ignition system. This system is designed to connect both the left and right magnetos to a single module, but it includes a manual override switch. If the system malfunctions, the pilot can deactivate the module to allow the magnetos to function independently.