ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272754
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| Date: | Friday 5 April 2013 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | ZS-PZZ |
| MSN: | 11970 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Nylstroom, near Bela-Bela in Limpopo province -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Bela-Bela (private airfield) in Limpopo Province |
| Roedtan (private airfield) in Limpopo Province | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was the sole occupant on board the Robinson RH44 helicopter. He flew the helicopter from Bela- Bela to Roedtan. The pilot lost sight of the ground in the process of avoiding the thunderstorm. A thunderstorm intercepted the flight path to Roedtan. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed in the accident. An investigation determined that the pilot may have experienced spatial disorientation from which he could not recover. It resulted in the helicopter colliding with terrain (controlled flight into terrain ' CFIT). The helicopter was investigated and no abnormality was identified with its operation, hence its operation was determined to be irrelevant to the accident
Probable Cause Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) due to thunderstorm activity resulting in loss of visibility. Contributory Factor/s: Inappropriate flight planning ' failure to obtain relevant weather forecast prior to flight. The pilot did not have an instrument rating, which led to reduced performance and inability to fly the helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and subsequent spatial disorientation
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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