ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 76126
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| Date: | Thursday 5 August 2010 |
| Time: | 18:06 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | ZS-RVB |
| MSN: | 4363 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 3.7 nautical miles North of Groot Riet Farm, Northern Cape -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | The Farm, Klein Swartpas, Northern Cape |
| The Farm, Groot Piet, Northern Cape | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot who was also the owner of the helicopter was accompanied by a passenger on a re-positioning game culling flight from Klein Zwart Bast Farm to Groot Riet Farm in the Northern Cape when the helicopter failed to arrive at their destination at the expected time of arrival.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) assisted by local farmers community initiated a search and rescue operation along the flight path track between Klein Zwart Bast farm and Groot Riet farm. The search and rescue operation continued throughout the night and the wreckage of the helicopter located the following morning of 6 August 2010 at approximately 08:10 UTC at an open deserted landscape at approximately 3.7 nautical miles North of Groot Riet Farm, Northern Cape, at GPS coordinates: 29˚24.572S, 020˚43.265 E
The aircraft was destroyed on impact and the both occupants were fatally injured. It was established during the on-site investigation, that the navigation light wiring and the strobe light electrical cable inside the tail boom was wrapped around the tail rotor drive shaft and stacked up against the flex plate assembly at the tail rotor gearbox end.
The pilot, most likely, was concerned when he experienced some vibration and a noise when the wiring was being stacked against the flex plate at the tail rotor gearbox and decided to land as soon as possible.
According to the GPS that was downloaded, the accident occurred at approximately 1608Z that was past sunset and at the time that the sun already disappeared below the horizon with the lack of visual reference. Observations during the on-site investigation showed that the helicopter was submitted to a very hard landing on the main landing skids during a vertical descent. The helicopter remained upright but was destroyed on impact with the level bush type terrain. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured on impact with the ground surface.
Evidence showed that the engine was not running on impact with the terrain as indicated by the engine squirrel cage fan.
Probable Cause/s: Unsuccessful autorotational landing. Contributory factor: The pilot became disorientated due to reduced visibility conditions after sunset
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. ]Oud-Kaptein van Griekwas sterf in helikopterongeluk
2. Helikopter stort neer in N-Kaap
3. Griekwas verloor held
4. Helikopter stort neer in Noord-Kaap
5. u2018Grote van GW-rugbyu2019 sterf
6. Boer u2018was nie u2019n groentjie in helikopteru2019
7. Gesinne Treur na Helikopterongeluk
8. http://www.caa.co.za/Pages/Default.aspxAccidents%20and%20Incidents%20Reports/8817.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2010 13:24 | Topaz | Added |
| 13-Aug-2010 17:25 | Topaz | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 06-Oct-2016 18:20 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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