Penguin in passenger seat causes helicopter crash in South Africa
An unsecured penguin placed in a cardboard box has been identified as the reason for a helicopter crash in South Africa.
The penguin, which was kept in a cardboard box on a passenger's lap, created a 'dangerous situation, the South African Civil Aviation Authority said.
The box fell off from the passenger's lap in the 19 January incident and hit the helicopter's controls after the take off from Bird Island off the Eastern Cape, the report said.
The Robinson R44 Raven II was unable to recover at the 15m height and the main rotor blades struck the ground, crashing the four-seat helicopter. No one on board was harmed during the accident, including the penguin.
The South Africa CAA said in its report 'the lack of secure containment for the penguin' was responsible for creating the 'dangerous situation'.
The pictures of the incident showed that the helicopter was completely damaged and the bird's enclosure was a cardboard box with holes. The report did not say why the penguin was being transported.
A pilot and three passengers on board along with the penguin were conducting an aerial survey flight in the afternoon and the specialist on board requested to transport one of the penguins back to Port Elizabeth.
'The pilot agreed to the request and the penguin was placed in a cardboard box,' it said.
'The pilot conducted a risk assessment of the flight; however, he omitted to include the carriage (transportation) of the penguin on-board.
'The passenger seated on the left front seat placed the cardboard box containing the penguin on his lap and secured it with his hands.
'Whilst transitioning and about 15m above ground level (AGL), the cardboard box slid off to the right and on to the pilot's cyclic pitch control lever.
'As a result, the cyclic pitch control lever advanced to the far-right position. The helicopter rolled to the right and the pilot could not recover timeously.'
The report said that absence of a proper and secured crate meant that the 'penguin's containment was not suitable for the flight conditions'.
It added that the pilot 'omitted to state in the risk assessment form the intention to transport the penguin in a cardboard box on-board'.
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