Accident Details
On 2 June 2021 at approximately 1301Z, a pilot and a passenger departed Rand Airport (FAGM) in a Cessna 172K aircraft, registration ZS-FJU, for a private hour-building flight to Zebula Airfield. The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) by day. After performing a full-stop landing at Zebula Airfield, the pair left the aircraft. About two hours later, they returned to prepare for the return flight to Rand Airport.
The pilot attempted to start the engine three times but failed. Following advice from a safety pilot at the training school, the pilot waited approximately five minutes to avoid over-flooding. A subsequent start attempt also failed. To prevent draining the battery, the pilot switched off the master switch for several minutes. Shortly thereafter, both the pilot and passenger observed smoke emanating from the engine cowlings and immediately disembarked. Flames then appeared from the engine compartment. The pilot successfully extinguished the fire using the on-board hand-held Halon fire extinguisher.
The aircraft sustained fire damage to the engine compartment and paintwork on the cowlings. Neither the pilot nor the passenger sustained injuries.
Aircraft Information
- Make/model: Cessna 172K
- Registration: ZS-FJU
- Total aircraft hours: 13,252.18
- Damage: Substantial
Pilot Information
The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) and had accumulated 118.3 total flying hours, with approximately 46.3 hours on type. The pilot's age was 29 years.
Investigation
This limited accident report was compiled by the South African Civil Aviation Authority's Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) based on information supplied by the affected persons. No formal on-site investigation was conducted.
Probable Cause
The cause of the fire was overpriming the engine, which led to fuel flooding the cylinder heads. The cylinder heads were still hot from the previous flight, igniting the fuel.