Robinson R22 Skid Gear Hooked Boma Cable During Game Capture (ZS-RWU)

Accident Overview and Location On the afternoon of 16 September 2024, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta II, registration ZS-RWU, was conducting a game capture operation at Sterkfontein Farm near Petrusburg in South Africa's Free State province. The flight was operated under Part 128 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011 in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) during daylight. The accident occurred at GPS coordinates 29°03'08.96'' S, 025°04'37.15'' E, at an elevation of 3,821 feet. ## Aircraft and Pilot Details The helicopter, serial number 3846, had accumulated 3,553.5 total airframe hours at the time of the accident. Its last maintenance inspection was certified on 14 July 2024 at 3,512.3 hours, and it held a valid Certificate of Airworthiness and Certificate of Release to Service. The pilot-in-command was a 51-year-old male holding a valid Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and a Class 1 aviation medical certificate. He had 4,849.3 total hours on the helicopter type, including 61.6 hours in the preceding 90 days, and held a Cull rating endorsement. ## Sequence of Events The pilot was herding ostriches toward a boma while manoeuvring the helicopter to prevent the animals from exiting. During this operation, the left front section of the skid gear caught the upper boma cable, which was approximately 3 metres above ground. The pilot did not initially realise the skid had hooked the cable. When he increased collective pitch to apply power, the helicopter rolled over to the right and came to rest on its side, sustaining substantial damage. No persons on board or on the ground were injured. ## Weather and Operational Context Weather data from the pilot questionnaire and the nearest South African Weather Service (SAWS) METAR for Kimberley Aerodrome (FAKM), located 22 nautical miles north-west of the site, indicated CAVOK conditions with a temperature of 28°C and QNH of 1016 hPa. The operator held a valid Air Operating Certificate (AOC) issued on 31 December 2023. ## Findings and Probable Cause The investigation determined that the left front skid gear hooked the upper boma cable while the pilot manoeuvred the helicopter to direct game toward the boma. As the pilot applied power, the helicopter rolled over to the right and crashed. A contributing factor was the pilot's loss of situational awareness while manoeuvring near the boma, as his attention was focused on monitoring the animals outside the helicopter. No safety actions or recommendations were issued.