ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272914
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| Date: | Thursday 27 July 2000 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Beechcraft E55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-PTB |
| MSN: | TE-904 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 1 nm SW of Lanseria International Airport -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Lanseria (HLA/FALA) |
| FAPB (Pietersburg) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot was accompanied by three passengers on a flight from Lanseria to Pietersburg on 27 July 2000. Approximately 35 minutes after take off the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions and decided to return to Lanseria. While the aircraft was established in the circuit for runway 06 Left at Lanseria aerodrome at a height of approximately 800 ft AGL, both engines failed simultaneously. The pilot then selected the auxiliary tanks, which had no apparent effect and the main tanks were re-selected. A forced landing was executed on an open field approximately 1nm South West of Lanseria. The aircraft was substantially damaged but no injuries were sustained. When the CAA investigators arrived on the scene only 50 minutes after the event, neither the pilot nor any of his passengers were on the scene, although the CAA requested the pilot to remain on the scene until their arrival. The fuel tanks were inspected and 5.5 litres and 1.5 litres of fuel was drained from the left and right-hand main tanks respectively. The right-hand auxiliary tank appeared to be s? to s? full with the left-hand auxiliary tank ruptured and empty. Only two fuel quantity gauges are installed in the aircraft. They indicate the amount of fuel in either the main tanks or auxiliary tanks for their respective wings. A two-position selector switch on the pilot's sub-panel determines the tanks, main or auxiliary, to which the indicators are connected. During the interview with the pilot he stated that the fuel quantity gauges did not move after fuel was uplifted nor did they move during the flight. This could be an indication that the pilot had the auxiliary tanks gauges selected on the two-position selector switch although the main tanks were selected on the fuel tank selection valve. PROBABLE CAUSE: The pilot had the main tanks selected for the entire flight, which resulted in the depletion of both main tank’s fuel supply leading to engine failure. The probable cause is of the accident is therefore attributed to fuel exhaustion as a result of fuel mismanagement
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 5 January 2008 | ZS-PTB | 0 | Ubundu Game Lodge | |
||
| Collision with pole or wires | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Apr-2022 07:08 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 06-Jun-2023 03:47 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Aircraft type]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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