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| Date: | Sunday 16 March 2025 |
| Time: | 08:30 UTC |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-RNI |
| MSN: | 1185 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2002 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Lohatla Military Base -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Mons Farm, John Taolo Gaetsewe District |
| Kabeljauws Farm, Jeffrey’s Bay | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A pilot and a passenger on-board a Robinson R44 Raven I helicopter with registration ZS-RNI were conducting a private flight from Mons Farm in John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, Northern Cape province, to Kabeljauws Farm in Jeffrey's Bay in Eastern Cape province. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated that the helicopter was refuelled to full capacity [190 litres (L) / 5-hour endurance of Aviation Gasoline (Avgas) 100LL fuel] on the morning before the pre-flight inspection was conducted. Before take-off, the pilot completed a walk-around inspection of the helicopter. He checked all systems described in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). No anomalies were identified. Later, the pilot started the engine and it operated within the acceptable limits. At approximately 0715Z, the pilot advanced the throttle to 105 percent revolutions per minute (RPM) and the helicopter took off from Mons Farm (which he owned). The pilot had planned to route via De-Aar Aerodrome (FADA) and Graaf-Reinet Aerodrome (FAGR) for fuel uplifts. The helicopter routed in a southerly direction
and cruised at a speed of 90 knots (kts).
After approximately 1 hour and whilst flying near the Lohatla Military base (which is a combat training area and a no-fly zone for civilian registered aircraft) before reaching FADA, the passenger encountered a medical condition and requested the pilot to land the helicopter so he could relieve himself. The pilot spotted a suitable area and performed a safe landing approximately 200 metres (m) near Lohatla Military base in the Northern Cape. The passenger disembarked from the helicopter; the pilot remained seated in the helicopter with the engine running at idle speed whilst waiting for the passenger. After approximately 10 minutes, the passenger boarded the helicopter and they took off. Whilst at approximately 150 feet (ft) above ground level (AGL) and at a forward speed of approximately 30 knots (kts), the rotor RPM decreased to below 97 percent and the low main rotor RPM warning light illuminated. The main rotor RPM continued to decay to about 80 percent, and the pilot could not recover the helicopter. The pilot engaged autorotation; however, he was unable to arrest the rate of descent to a safe vertical speed which resulted in a hard landing with the skid landing gears on the grass-covered field within the border of Lohatla Military Base, approximately 100m from the parameter fence. The main rotor blades severed the tail boom during the accident sequence, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. No person was injured. The pilot vacated the wreckage and reported the accident to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the SAPS personnel swiftly responded to the accident.
Probable Cause(s)
The main rotor RPM decayed below 97 percent; as a result, the helicopter lost lift and crash-landed on a grass-covered field within the border of Lohatla Military Base.
Contributing Factor(s)
Poor airmanship.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SACAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 2 October 2012 | ZS-RNI | 0 | Farm Grootfontein, Bela Bela distric | |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jun-2025 18:04 | ASN | Added |
| 15-Jun-2025 18:07 | ASN | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Plane category, ] |
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