During an aerial survey conducted near Bird Island off the southeastern coast of South Africa, a ‘Robinson R44 Raven II’ type helicopter was involved in an accident. In a miraculous turn of events, no one was injured when one of the passengers was carrying a cardboard box containing a penguin at the time of the incident.
Cardboard Box Got Stuck in the Pitch Control Lever
According to a preliminary report published by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the helicopter was approximately 15 meters in the air when the box in the passenger’s hands shifted to the right and hit the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever. This caused the aircraft to lose control.
The report stated that the helicopter tilted sideways due to the impact, the rotor blades hit the ground, and the aircraft fell on its right side. Neither the passengers nor the penguin were harmed in the crash.
Reason for Penguin’s Presence on the Helicopter Remains Unclear
The report did not clearly state why the penguin was on board, but it mentioned that an expert involved in the survey had requested the animal be returned from the island and the pilot agreed to the request.
Procedures Were Violated
The investigation revealed that the pilot failed to implement necessary safety procedures regarding cargo. It was noted that the pilot did not indicate on the risk assessment form that a penguin would be transported in a cardboard box.
