Cessna A152 Accident at Heidelberg Aerodrome (ZS-PNV)

Accident Overview and Flight History On 4 November 2013, a Cessna A152, registration ZS-PNV, operated by SAFTA, was conducting a circuit training flight from Heidelberg Aerodrome (FAHG) in Gauteng Province. The aircraft was piloted by a commercial instructor and a student pilot. After completing three uneventful circuits and touch-and-go landings, the aircraft executed a wide left-hand turn following the third take-off. During this turn, which was into a crosswind, the engine began to run rough, followed by a reduction in RPM and a complete loss of power. The instructor took control of the aircraft, initiated an alert communication to the ground crew, and attempted an engine restart, which was unsuccessful. Due to a high rate of descent, the instructor elected to perform a forced landing in an open field to the right of the aircraft's path. During the approach, the instructor observed electrical power lines ahead and was forced to descend to pass under the obstacles to avoid a collision. The aircraft landed hard and impacted an anthill with its right-hand main landing gear wheel, which broke off. The aircraft continued skidding until it came to rest between electrical power lines and trees, 72 meters from the initial impact point. The final resting location was 3 nautical miles south-west of Heidelberg Aerodrome at GPS coordinates S26°32'47.62'' E028°22'3.99''. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right-hand main wheel, right-hand wing, tail section, and propeller. Both the instructor and the student were uninjured. The investigation could not conclusively determine the cause of the engine failure, although engine run tests and fouling inspections indicated no anomalies.