Incident Overview
On 24 December 2006, at approximately 1000Z, a Bell 206B helicopter (registration ZS-HUC) was involved in an incident at an agricultural smallholding near Cullinan, Gauteng. The helicopter was being operated on a private flight. The pilot, who was also the owner, was offering flights to children from a nearby orphanage as a Christmas gesture. Weather conditions included surface wind from 315° at 10 knots, temperature 29°C, and CAVOK visibility, with gusty conditions from the west.
Sequence of Events
The pilot had been giving rides throughout the day. On the last lift, with three child passengers on board, he took off in a northerly direction. Entering forward flight during transition, a very strong gust of wind from the west pushed the helicopter to the right. The pilot was unable to initiate appropriate corrective action, and the main rotor blades struck one of the Blue gum trees. He then executed a forced landing straight ahead in an open area. Nobody on board (1 + 3 persons) was injured.
Aircraft Damage
The main rotor blades were damaged beyond economical repair. Additionally, a sudden stoppage inspection, as required by the aircraft manufacturer, was necessary for all dynamic components following the event.
Probable Cause
The probable cause was the pilot's response to counter the gust of wind by applying left cyclic at a fast enough rate of application. Although the pilot was aware of gusty wind conditions, he likely did not anticipate a gust of this magnitude, resulting in the main rotor blade strike.