ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 240873
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| Date: | Sunday 11 August 2019 |
| Time: | 09:35 UTC |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-TTC |
| MSN: | 12131 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Vaalwater -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Private Farm in Vaalwater |
| Private Farm in Vaalwater | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The pilot and two passengers were engaged in a scenic flight on-board a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter in the Vaalwater area in Limpopo province, South Africa.
The pilot stated that after take-off, he got into a hover and, as he transitioned (north-easterly direction) forward between 10 and 20 knots (kts) while flying along the left-hand side of the Vaalwater Dam with some trees lining the right-hand side (of the dam), the wind as well as the trees disrupted the airflow into the tail rotor system from behind.
The pilot further stated that the main rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) decreased, causing a slight drop in engine power which required more collective control input to maintain a stable transition. The pilot performed a flare attitude to allow more wind into the main rotor system to increase the main rotor RPM. However, the flare led to the tail rotor system guard (stinger) impacting the water surface; the main rotors flapped downwards and severed the tail boom.
The investigation revealed that the helicopter took off in a direction where there were high trees ahead. The helicopter’s performance was reduced by being above the required weight, thus, it could not clear the obstacle; the pilot manoeuvred the helicopter to the left before reaching the flying speed (of 50kts). However, the helicopter lost lift, resulting in an impact with the water surface as well as severing its tail boom.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
CAA S.A.
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Nov-2023 17:19 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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