ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272745
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| Date: | Sunday 3 December 2006 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Astro |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-RKW |
| MSN: | 0738 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Open field at plot no. 40, Elizabeth Road, Randfontein -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Open field at plot no. 40, Elizabeth Road, Randfontein |
| Pretoria-Wonderboom Airport (PRY/FAWB) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot took off with no passengers from Wonderboom Aerodrome at approximately 0830Z on a private flight for a business meeting at a smallholding in Randfontein. He decided to fly back at 1300Z that afternoon from Randfontein to Wonderboom, accompanied by two passengers. The pilot stated that he carried out a pre-flight inspection and did a mental calculation of the weight and balance of the helicopter prior to take-off. He proceeded with the start-up and conducted the calculation for power available versus the power required. He then took off and established the helicopter in a hover. He waited for the manifold pressure to stabilise, and then turned the helicopter in a clockwise direction, approximately 10s? from the take-off direction, remaining at 30 cm above ground level, within ground effect. He proceeded forward at approximately 8 kts, but when he raised the collective pitch lever slightly to approximately 23,5 inches to clear a 3 ft fence 30 ft ahead of the helicopter, the low rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) warning horn sounded. He immediately pulled the cyclic stick back to level the helicopter and to stop forward movement. He also simultaneously lowered the collective to move down into ground effect, but the helicopter impacted the ground, causing the skid gear to collapse. The aircraft skidded for a distance of approximately 2 m on its lower fuselage before it came to a complete stop. The helicopter sustained damages to the skids and the lower fuselage. The pilot and passengers sustained no injuries. The last mandatory periodic inspection (MPI) prior to the accident was certified on 25 October 2006 at 961 airframe hours. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated a further 120 flying hours. According to available records, the aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) that certified the last MPI on the aircraft prior to the accident was in possession of a valid AMO approval, no. 247, with an expiry date of 30 October 2007. Probable Cause When the helicopter moved from hovering in ground effect to out of ground effect, there was a low rotor RPM condition and a hard landing followed. Contributing remarks: 1. Pilot's experience limited on the helicopter type. 2. Pilot failed to perform a proper weight and balance calculation prior to the flight, aggravating the situation by evaluating the incorrect data.
Accident investigation:
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Sources:
S.A. CAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 31 May 2008 | ZS-RKW | Grand Lake Trading 254 (Pty) Ltd | 0 | Kroonstad, Free State | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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