ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 161761
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| Date: | Tuesday 29 October 2013 |
| Time: | 15:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Starlite Aviation |
| Registration: | ZS-RTV |
| MSN: | 3586 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Seaview Brakfontein Farm, approx.1.5km from Herold's Bay, Western Cape -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Mossel Bay Airport, Western Cape (FAMO) |
| Mossel Bay Airport, Western Cape (FAMO) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Robinson R22 Beta came down at Seaview Brakfontein Farm, approximately 1.5 km from Herold's Bay, Western Cape, near the George Airport and close to the coastal town of Herold's Bay. (GPS position: 34°02’36.41”S 022°22’10.89”E). Helicopter ended up on its port side, with tail boom in multiple pieces. Sole occupant pilot injured. First indications are that the female pilot was slightly injured. According to the following contemporary press report (see link #5):
"Chopper crashes at Herold's Bay
GEORGE NEWS - A helicopter of Starlite Aviation in Mossel Bay crashed on a farm near Herold’s Bay on Tuesday morning during a routine flight back to Mossel Bay. The 22-year-old female pilot, who was alone in the helicopter, miraculously survived serious injury and was taken to Mediclinic George where she was treated for cuts to her head and discharged.
Captain Bernadine Steyn, the Southern Cape Police spokesperson, confirmed the incident, but referred further queries to the Civil Aviation Directorate.
The helicopter, a blue Robinson R22, was severly damaged - the tail and pieces of the wreckage lay strewn across the Seaview Brakfontein farm, approximately 1.5 km from Herold's Bay.
The George Herald managed to reach one of Starlite’s chief training instructors and director Kate Odendaal on Tuesday afternoon as she got off a plane in Kenya, but she declined to comment about the accident. Ryan O'Malley, base manager in Mossel Bay, was on the scene with officials from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the insurance company yesterday.
"We are very shocked about the accident and relieved that the pilot is okay. We will be conducting our own investigation and will work closely with the CAA," he said. Starlite opened their main training base in Mossel Bay earlier this year at the Mossel Bay Airfield."
..and the official South African CAA accident report (see link #1) states:
"The pilot conducted a private flight from Mossel Bay Aerodrome with the intention of flying to Knysna and back to Mossel Bay Aerodrome. In the cruise at 1,100 feet AMSL whilst approaching Herolds Bay and flying along the coast, the engine of ZS-RTV started backfiring and the aircraft started yawing and vibrating. The engine then failed and the pilot entered into auto rotation. During touchdown on an open field on a farm, the aircraft bounced and rolled over to the left due to the uneven ground, on a farm approximately 4 km from George Aerodrome (GPS position: 34°02’36.41”S, 022°22’10.89”E)
Investigation revealed that the exhaust pushrod on No. 1 cylinder of the engine was found bent and fractured as a result of a sticky valve which caused the engine failure. The helicopter sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence and the pilot was admitted to hospital with minor injuries.
Probable cause: Unsuccessful autorotation following an engine failure.
Contributory factor/s: Engine failure due to sticky exhaust valve resulting in a bent pushrod which caused engine failure"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.caa.co.za/Accidents%20and%20Incidents%20Reports/9236.pdf
2. http://helihub.com/2013/10/29/29-oct-13-zs-rtv-robinson-r22b-herolds-bay-south-africa/
3. http://www.flyafrica.info/forums/showthread.php?59920-Heli-down-at-Herolds-Bay-W-Cape&p=400647#post400647
4. http://www.georgeherald.com/gallery.aspx?gpid=2289&gid=1&h=Herolds-Bay-helicopter-crash#!prettyPhoto
5. https://www.algoafm.co.za/Article/40832/helicopter-crash-lands-near-george-
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 6 July 2004 | ZS-RTV | Kalahari Oryx Game Fa | |
|||
| Vortex ring state | ||||||
| 20 March 2008 | ZS-RTV | Louis Fourie Game Capture (Pty) Ltd | 0 | Rustenburg, North West Province | |
sub |
| Heavy landing | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Oct-2013 18:56 | Flyafrica | Added |
| 29-Oct-2013 19:03 | harro | Updated [Time, Operator] |
| 29-Oct-2013 22:05 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Damage] |
| 30-Oct-2013 06:24 | asylumkid | Updated [Registration] |
| 15-Oct-2016 15:58 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 15-Oct-2016 15:59 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 15-Oct-2016 17:27 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 22-Aug-2018 22:16 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 22-Aug-2018 22:28 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Aug-2018 21:09 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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