The “unsecured” penguins in a cardboard box caused a helicopter collision in South Africa, investigators revealed.
The incident occurred on January 19th when a penguin, which was placed in a box above a passenger's knee, slipped off to strike pilot control after taking off from Bird Island off the Eastern Cape Coast.
The impact caused helicopters to plunge to the ground, according to a South African Civil Aviation Authority report released this week. Surprisingly, all residents, including the Penguins, escaped without getting injured.
Investigators determined that the “lack of safe containment of penguins” created a “dangerous situation” that led to crashes.
The helicopter was conducting an aerial survey of the island in Gukeberja, in the eastern Cape state. Upon completion, experts requested the transport of one penguin to Port Elizabeth for unknown reasons.
Aviation authorities said the pilots conducted a “risk assessment” but failed to document penguin transport, a violation of the 2011 Civil Aviation Regulations Violation (CAR).
The report details how the incident was unfolding. When the helicopter reached an altitude of about 15m, the cardboard box slid down the expert's knees, and the cyclic pitch control lever moved to the far right position. This sudden shift caused the aircraft to roll out of control.
Unable to recover, the main rotor blade hit the ground, causing the helicopter to hit the right board, about 20m from the lift-off.
Despite the great damage to the aircraft, both the crew and the penguins appeared unharmed.
The report emphasized that all circumstances must comply with “established safety protocols” and aviation safety procedures. Furthermore, it was noted that appropriate assessments of potential hazards such as shifted freight should have been carried out.
“The lack of a suitable and safe wooden frame meant that penguins containment was not suitable for flight conditions,” he concluded.
