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| Date: | Sunday 22 June 2025 |
| Time: | c. 04:00 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Limair |
| Registration: | ZS-HFH |
| MSN: | 10392 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3785 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Nylstroom -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The helicopter impacted trees and crashed into a dam during an early morning frost/moisture control flight. The pilot was killed.
The Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter with registration ZS-HFH took off to conduct a frost-protection operation on a 30-hectare blue berries field at Metsi Berries Farm in Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality, Limpopo province, with the intention to land at the same farm.
The farm production manager stated that he received an alert on his mobile phone at 01:20Z whilst on standby at the farmstead. The alert was that the temperature in the berry field that was covered in a shade netting had dropped below freezing point, and that the berries were susceptible to frost damage and spoilage. The use of the helicopter was, therefore, required to correct the temperature in that area. The production manager notified the pilot who was also at the farmstead at the time.
The duo drove to the area where the helicopter was parked overnight. Upon arrival, the pilot performed a pre-flight inspection of the helicopter, and no anomalies were noted. The helicopter had 180 litres (L) of Aviation Gasoline (Avgas) LL100 in the tanks. Before the pilot could start the engine, the production manager drove to the field where the crops needed to be defrosted, approximately 50 metres (m) from where the helicopter was parked. After a few minutes, he heard the helicopter engine being started. The helicopter lifted off and flew south-easterly. In less than two minutes after take-off, the lights of the helicopter disappeared behind some tall trees and from his line of sight.
Thereafter, he heard a loud bang approximately 600m from the lift-off point. The production manager instantly drove to the direction from where the loud bang had come. After reaching that area, he used his torch and spotted the helicopter almost fully submerged in a flooded ditch; the tail boom was tilted up.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
FlyAfrica
https://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=272148
NTSB GAA25WA191
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Jun-2025 22:01 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 23-Jun-2025 10:51 | ASN | Updated [Registration, Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 25-Jun-2025 18:09 | Captain Adam | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, ] |
| 18-Jul-2025 09:33 | ASN | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
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