What happened
On the morning of 8 June 2024, a Jabiru J160 aircraft, registered ZU-DWK, was performing a private flight from Stellenbosch Aerodrome (FASH) with the intention of landing at Caledon Airfield (FACG). The flight was operating under visual meteorological conditions.
Shortly after departing from Runway 01, the aircraft experienced a significant loss of power during the initial climb. The pilot reported feeling a vibration and observing a sharp drop in engine revolutions, which fell from 2960 to 1390 RPM. As the airspeed continued to decay, the stall warning activated. Lacking sufficient altitude to maintain flight, the pilot executed a forced landing into a strawberry farm located approximately 500 metres from the threshold of Runway 19. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft's fuselage, wings, landing gear, propeller, and stabilizers, while also damaging the crops on the farm. The pilot sustained minor injuries, while the passenger remained unharmed.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID examined the circumstances leading to the power loss. The aircraft had recently undergone a 100-hour mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) on 31 May 202 and had flown only 0.9 hours since that service.
Investigators noted that during a previous engine shutdown event on 28 May 2024, carbon build-up on the spark plugs had been identified and cleaned. While the aircraft's maintenance records indicated that the spark plugs were due for replacement according to the maintenance manual, the task had been signed out as not applicable. Post-accident inspections of the engine by a maintenance engineer found the engine to be operating smoothly when turned by hand and running without a propeller.