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| Date: | Sunday 12 January 2025 |
| Time: | 14:10 UTC |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-RMD |
| MSN: | 0812 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1926 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | north-east of Vaalwater -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Witklip Farm |
| Leeudrift Farm | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A pilot and two passengers on-board a Robinson R44 helicopter with registration ZS-RMD took off on a private flight from Witklip Farm to Leeudrift Farm near Vaalwater. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day prevailed at the time of the flight.
The pilot reported that they took off from Leeudrift Farm at approximately 1340Z to refuel at Witklip Farm, which is located approximately 5 nautical miles (nm) north-east of Vaalwater. The flight to Witklip Farm took 6 minutes, and it was uneventful. At around 1405Z, the helicopter's main and auxiliary fuel tanks were refuelled to a little less than half the capacity on each tank. The pilot stated that the helicopter lifted off and headed north-easterly. At approximately 300 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL) at a speed of 20 knots (kts) whilst transitioning, the pilot turned the aircraft to face east. As the helicopter transitioned, it lost revolutions per minute (RPM) and he decided to conduct a precautionary landing. During landing, the helicopter impacted the muddy ground hard and skidded forward for about 5 metres. The left landing gear skid impacted a 30cm high tree stump; as a result, the helicopter's nose lowered and the tail boom lifted with the main rotor still turning at a high speed. As a result, the main rotor severed the tail boom. Subsequently, the helicopter yawed approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise before the pilot could shut down the engine and pull the main rotor brake. The occupants were uninjured; they evacuated the helicopter without assistance. The helicopter
sustained damage to the left skid, main rotor and tail boom.
Probable Cause(s)
The helicopter landed hard after loss of RPM due to being turned too soon after lift-off at a low speed and altitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SACAA
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jun-2025 17:26 | ASN | Added |
| 15-Jun-2025 17:29 | ASN | Updated [Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 15-Jun-2025 17:31 | ASN | Updated [Narrative, ] |
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