On the 19th of January, a helicopter crashed right after taking off from Bird Island off the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The cause was an unsecured passenger who should not have been on board in the first place. The helicopter was the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter.
An Extra Passenger
The helicopter was carrying an extra passenger, who turned out to be a penguin. The penguin was in a box and on top of a passenger’s lap. The helicopter crashed after the box slid off the passenger’s lap and went into the pilot’s controls a few moments after take-off. The impact sent the helicopter out of control, causing it significant damage. However, no one was hurt and both the pilot and the passengers, including the penguin, survived the crash.
South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority said:
“The cardboard box slid off to the right and onto the pilot’s cyclic pitch control lever.”
Importance of Protocols
According to a recently published report, the flight had been conducting an aerial survey of the island in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape Province and landed after completing the survey. It was then that a specialist requested the transport of a penguin back to Port Elizabeth. The pilot conducted a risk assessment. However, he did not follow proper cargo procedures. The report said:
The pilot conducted an inspection but omitted to state in the risk assessment form the intention to transport the penguin in a cardboard box on-board. The lack of secure containment for the penguin created a dangerous situation.
The crash took place when the helicopter was 15m off the ground. The box slid into the cyclic pitch control lever, which caused the aircraft to roll. As the aircraft spun out of control, the main rotor blades struck the ground and the helicopter crashed on its right side, 20m from the point of lift-off. The report said all situations should be subject to “established safety protocols” and compliance with aviation safety procedures.
I agree with them, as this could have turned out for worse. But let us know what you think in the comments.
Imagine what the penguin must think – does it know its own actions caused an accident, or does it think these humans just put it through trauma for no good reason
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