Incident Overview
On 2 February 2005 at 1340Z, a Bell 206B III helicopter, registration ZS-HVZ, was conducting a ferry flight from Frere Hospital in East London to the East London Aerodrome. The flight originated as an air ambulance transfer from Cofimvaba, with a patient offloaded at the hospital. On board were the pilot and a paramedic (1+1 persons). No injuries or fatalities occurred. The weather at the time was wind 070/21 knots, temperature 25°C, with scattered cloud at 1200 feet.
Sequence of Events
Shortly after lift-off from the hospital, the pilot's right front door flew open and promptly closed again. While the pilot was closing his door, the paramedic reported that the left rear cabin door and its doorpost had departed the aircraft. The pilot contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) and advised that he would search for the door and check if anyone on the ground had been injured. Observing people on the ground waving, the pilot landed in an open field about 2 nautical miles east of the East London Aerodrome. He retrieved the remains of the left rear cabin door and confirmed that no one on the ground was injured. The pilot then flew to the aerodrome.
Damage and Aftermath
Upon landing and shutdown, the pilot inspected the aircraft and discovered substantial damage, rendering it unsafe for further flight. The pilot reported no noticeable effects on the aircraft controls when the door assembly struck the main and tail rotor blades. A ground search was conducted for the missing doorpost assembly, but as of the report's conclusion, it had not been retrieved.
Probable Cause
Could not be determined due to the absence of the doorpost assembly, which was not retrieved (and not available) for examination and analysis.