On January 19, 2025, the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter was registered when ZS-RJC departed Dawid Stuurman Aerodrome Chief (formerly Port Elizabeth Airport) in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province.
The R44 is a four-seat helicopter certified for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operation. The pilots retained a commercial pilot license, had 1,650 hours of flight time and were in the type over 1,000 hours. The commercial flight that day was for experts and two passengers to conduct an aviation survey on Bird Island at Odezo National Park.
The pilot completed a full risk assessment, including planned landings on the island.
The weather was good and the short flight to Bird Island was uneventful. After they completed the aerial survey, the pilots found an appropriate landing point and landed on the island.
The pilot conducted pre-flight checks of the helicopter to return to the aerodrome. Experts asked if penguins could be returned to the mainland. The pilot agreed. It is unclear why they decided to naptransport the penguins.
They put the penguins in a cardboard box with air holes. The passenger in the front left seat boarded and held a cardboard box containing a penguin on his lap.
After starting the engine, all engine parameters were fine and the pilot advanced power to 103 rpm for takeoff.
The helicopter was lifted. However, as they had moved to forward flights about 15 meters (50 feet) above the ground, the cardboard box slid from the passenger's knees into pilot periodic control.
Penguins have been found to make terrible co-pilots, especially when they are in cardboard boxes.
The box pushed in the cyclic pitch control lever and rolled the helicopter sharply to the right. So there was no chance that the pilot would recover control as it was close to the ground. The main rotor blades hit the ground, causing the helicopter to crash into the side just 20 meters from the departure point.
Surprisingly, no one was injured in the crash. The R44 suffered a major loss. The pilots, passengers and penguins are likely returning to the boat on the mainland.
An investigation by the South African Civil Aviation Authority concluded that pilots were not following established safety protocols.
Penguins transport in cardboard boxes was not carried out according to the conditions modified according to subpart 7 of CAR 2011 in 2011.
The regulations require that all equipment, baggage and items in the cabin be “appropriately secured and stored.”
The aviation authorities recommended:
Strict compliance with standard operating procedures for freight transport will enhance training on load security for all personnel in thorough pre-flight safety briefings, so passengers must be notified to ensure that the risk assessment is in line with an approved safety management system to clarify the responsibility of both the pilot and passenger to manage that risk when they deviate from the risks involved and plans.
The Penguins arrived safely on the mainland, but were not interviewed as part of the investigation.
Aviation risks may not be related to mechanical obstacles or weather. Sometimes it's an unexpected penguin in a cardboard box.
