Penguin blamed for helicopter crash in South Africa (IMAGES)
South African authorities have announced that a helicopter which crashed in the country on January 19, 2025 had been brought down by a penguin on board, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported on Friday.
The incident occurred when a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter took off from Bird Island in Eastern Cape province.
On Tuesday, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) explained in its report that the penguin had been placed inside a cardboard box, which a researcher on board was holding on his lap. However, shortly after takeoff, it slipped from the passenger's grip.
'Whilst transitioning and about 15m above ground level, the cardboard box slid off to the right and on to the pilot's cyclic pitch control lever,'
the report said.
The impact forced the lever to shift abruptly to the right, causing the helicopter to roll violently.
'The pilot could not recover timeously,'
and the aircraft descended rapidly, with its blades striking the ground. It was severely damaged in the crash, but fortunately, neither the human occupants nor the penguin sustained major injuries.
The report stated that the
'penguin's containment was not suitable for the flight conditions'
due to the lack of a secure crate.
© South African Civil Aviation Authority
The purpose of the flight had been to assist a researcher in conducting a wildlife survey. After the process was completed, the helicopter landed on the island, where the scientist requested transport for one of the penguins back to Port Elizabeth.
The pilot, who was identified in the report only as a 35-year-old male with over 1,650 flight hours and a license obtained in 2021, agreed to the request. The penguin was placed inside a cardboard box for the return trip. While the pilot had performed a pre-flight risk assessment, the investigation revealed that he had failed to account for the additional risk posed by carrying the animal on board.
© South African Civil Aviation Authority
The report recommended that pilots receive additional training in flight risk management.
Pretoria's High Court has imposed a 10-year ban on commercial fishing in six areas off South Africa's west coast to protect the endangered African penguin, SABC radio reported in March.
READ MORE:
How Trump's trade policies could spell disaster for this region
In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the African penguin as
'critically endangered,'
the first among 18 penguin species to receive this status. The population has declined by 97% over the past century, with fewer than 8,000 breeding pairs remaining. Commercial fishing off the coast of South Africa and Namibia remains the primary threat to their survival.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Trump still uses personal phone
US President Donald Trump continues to rely on his personal cellphone, despite repeated warnings from aides and security experts about foreign surveillance risks, The Atlantic reported on Monday. The phone remains Trump's main link to the outside world, connecting him with friends, family, lawmakers, corporate leaders, celebrities, world leaders, and journalists, sources close to the president told the outlet. He also often answers calls from unknown numbers, reportedly viewing them as opportunities for spontaneous conversations, they claim. 'He likes to call people. He likes to be called,' one adviser reportedly said. Another noted that 'probably a ton' of people have Trump's personal number, while a third estimated the figure at 'well over 100.' President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on the phone working. An absolute machine 🔥 Trump reportedly uses multiple devices, with at least one dedicated to social media. Several sources claim Trump often leaves lengthy voicemails and inquires if recipients have shared his messages with relatives and friends. They also claim Trump distrusts White House landlines, fearing eavesdropping by what he sees as the 'deep state.' 'His perspective was, 'I can't trust anyone on the White House staff, so I have to use my cellphone,'' a former adviser told the outlet. Security officials have long warned Trump that personal phones are vulnerable to hacking and wiretapping. In late 2024, the FBI claimed Chinese hackers had breached US telecom networks, allowing them to eavesdrop on calls involving Trump and other political figures. Despite the concerns, the president reportedly dismissed the warnings. 'He'd just reject it and say, 'It's not true,'' a former adviser said. 'He'd say, 'My phone is the best on the market.'' Advisers eventually gave up trying to limit his phone use, the sources claimed, although one said the devices had been upgraded with additional security features. The White House declined to confirm those details. 'We will not discuss or disclose security measures regarding the President, especially to The Atlantic,' Communications Director Steven Cheung told the outlet in an emailed statement. The White House recently had issues with the magazine after an Atlantic editor gained access to an internal chat involving senior Trump officials discussing a strike against the Houthi militants and then writing a story about it. Cheung defended Trump's approach, saying his use of a personal phone makes him 'the most transparent and accessible President in American history.'
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky claims he has been invited to NATO summit
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has claimed he has been invited to attend this year's NATO leaders' summit in The Hague. Media reports earlier suggested that the US is opposed to Zelensky's potential participation due to concerns he could be 'disruptive.' Zelensky made the announcement on Monday after attending sessions of a NATO event in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with leaders from Eastern and Northern Europe. During a virtual press briefing, Zelensky said he received a formal invitation from Rutte for the summit, scheduled for June 24-25 in the Netherlands. NATO's stance that Ukraine's path towards membership is 'irreversible' is cited by Russia as one of the key factors behind the ongoing hostilities between the two nations. The New York Times reported last week that Zelensky's attendance in The Hague was uncertain and might be scaled back. US President Donald Trump has taken a 'dismissive' stance toward the Ukrainian leader, the newspaper said, meaning NATO officials fear the event could be disrupted rather than 'cordial.' Officials told the NYT that organizers have contemplated skipping a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a forum where 'allies sit with Ukraine as equals.' Italy's ANSA news agency reported that NATO is preparing a 'very concise program' in order to minimize the risk of alienating Trump. Bloomberg said the summit's primary focus will be on boosting defense spending by member nations, in line with demands from Washington. Tensions between Trump and Zelensky escalated in February during the Ukrainian leader's visit to the US to finalize a minerals deal. The meeting devolved into a heated exchange, with Trump, US Vice President J.D. Vance, and Zelensky clashing on camera. Zelensky criticized the US leadership for renewing diplomatic ties with Russia, although the minerals deal was ultimately signed in late April. Last month, Kiev agreed to resume direct negotiations with Moscow, a move encouraged by the Trump administration as part of efforts to broker a ceasefire. During the latest round of talks in Istanbul on Monday, Russian negotiators offered to return the bodies of 6,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers as a gesture of goodwill.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Tehran to offer nuclear assurances
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Iran will give assurances regarding the peaceful nature its nuclear program, as US President Donald Trump pushes for the country to entirely dismantle its enrichment capability. In March, Trump reportedly gave Iran a two-month deadline to make a nuclear deal with the US, threatening 'bombing' if it does not accept. Washington recently set out its terms in a letter, following five rounds of Oman-brokered negotiations between the two nations. 'We are ready to give assurances to all sides about peaceful nature of our nuclear program,' Araghchi, Tehran's top negotiator in the nuclear talks with the US, said at a press conference in Egypt on Monday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff 'has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal' to Iran, adding that 'it's in their best interest to accept.' She reiterated Trump's position that 'Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb.' Tehran views the US proposal as both unfair and unlikely to reach a compromise, an Iranian source familiar with the proceedings has told RT. 'Iranians were dismayed to see such a fanciful, one-sided text that is so out of touch with reality,' the source said. Iran is poised to reject the US proposition as a 'non-starter,' Reuters wrote on Monday, citing a senior Iranian diplomat. Last month, Trump said the only outcome he would accept is the 'total dismantlement' of the Iranian nuclear program. Washington has insisted that Tehran should not be able to enrich its own uranium, even for civilian use, a clause Araghchi has dismissed as a violation of Iran's sovereign rights. During his first presidential term, Trump accused Tehran of secretly violating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, and unilaterally withdrew the US from the deal. Tehran has dismissed the accusations, and has since gradually ramped up its domestic uranium enrichment.
