What happened
On 14 October 2014, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration ZS-RYD, was engaged in a private game counting mission near Alldays, Limpopo Province. The flight departed from a private farm at approximately 0730Z. After roughly 50 minutes of flight, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft toward a herd of antelope, initiating a descent while turning westward. At this stage, the aircraft was traveling at an indicated airspeed of less than 30 knots.
While descending toward the animals, the aircraft encountered a sudden tailwind gust. This surge of air pushed the helicopter downward into nearby trees. Despite the impact with the vegetation, the pilot maintained sufficient engine power to prevent a ground impact. The pilot subsequently decided to return to the farm's helipad, located about 3 nautical miles away, where the aircraft landed without further incident.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID confirmed that the pilot held a valid private pilot license with the appropriate cull rating and type endorsement. The Robinson R44 was found to have a valid certificate of airworthiness and was carrying sufficient fuel for the mission. The aircraft's weight was not a contributing factor, and no mechanical defects were identified prior to the event.
Post-flight inspections revealed that the incident resulted in minor damage to both the main rotor and the tail rotor blades caused by contact with the trees. There were no injuries to the pilot or any other occupants.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary cause of the incident was the encounter with a sudden gust of wind during low-level flight operations, which led to the rotor blades making contact with vegetation.