ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272741
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| Date: | Tuesday 2 October 2012 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-RNI |
| MSN: | 1185 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2002 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Farm Grootfontein, Bela Bela distric -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Farm Grootfontein, Bela Bela district, (Limpopo province) |
| Farm Grootfontein, Bela Bela district, (Limpopo province) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot, accompanied by three passengers took off from an open area on the farm Grootfontein in the Bela Bela district on a game counting flight. According to the pilot he was flying at a height of approximately 100 ft above ground level (AGL) during the counting operation, at an indicated airspeed of between 15 to 20 knots. They were airborne for approximately 12 minutes when they encountered a herd of Impala antelope that refused to move out from underneath the trees. After approximately five orbits the pilot decided to dive down towards the animals in an attempt to scare them out underneath the trees. According to the pilot, at that stage there was a change in wind direction and a possible increase in wind velocity as the wind was erratic throughout the day. This most probably placed the helicopter in a downwind position. The low rotor RPM warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the audio warning sounded. The pilot was unable to restore the rotor rpm being at such a low altitude and was left with no other option but to execute a forced landing in dense bush type of terrain straight ahead of him. On touchdown the main rotor blades severed the tail boom and the helicopter rolled over onto its right-hand side. Nobody on board the helicopter was injured in the accident. The flight was conducted with all four the doors removed. Probable Cause Unsuccessful forced landing following a decay in main rotor RPM during a low level manoeuvre.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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