Serious Incident Involving Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopter in Midrand (ZS-RMN)

Incident Overview and Location Details On 11 October 2025, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, registered ZS-RMN, was involved in a serious incident during a training flight. The aircraft took off from Ultimate Heliport in Midrand, Gauteng Province, with the intention of landing at Grand Central Airport (FAGC). The emergency landing occurred approximately 1 kilometre east of Ultimate Heliport at GPS coordinates 26°01'39 S, 28°06'40 E, at an elevation of 4,843 feet. ## Flight Operations and Crew The flight was conducted under Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011. The helicopter was operated by a flight instructor and a student pilot. The flight instructor held a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and a Class 1 aviation medical certificate, while the student pilot held a Student Pilot Licence (SPL) and a Class 4 aviation medical certificate. Both licences were valid at the time of the incident. ## Sequence of Events The helicopter was refuelled to full capacity with 190 litres of Aviation Gasoline (Avgas) 100LL fuel. A pre-flight inspection was conducted with no anomalies noted. The student pilot started the engine and opened the throttle to 104 percent RPM, and the helicopter lifted off. It accelerated through translational lift at approximately 40 knots, heading east. At approximately 150 metres above ground, the rotor RPM warning light illuminated, and an audio warning sounded. The helicopter rapidly lost height, and the flight instructor took control and initiated an emergency landing. The helicopter landed hard on a grass-covered area, resulting in minor damage to the skid landing gears. ## Aircraft and Maintenance Status The Robinson R44 Raven II is a four-seat, single main rotor, single-engine helicopter equipped with skid-type landing gear. The aircraft had a total of 7,290.7 airframe hours at the time of the incident. The last mandatory periodic inspection was certified on 29 August 2025 at 7,230.7 total airframe hours. The aircraft was certified, equipped, and maintained in accordance with approved procedures, and was airworthy when dispatched for the flight. ## Probable Cause and Contributing Factors The probable cause of the serious incident was an unsuccessful emergency landing following a decay in main rotor RPM during a low-level flight. A contributing factor was poor airmanship. No safety actions or recommendations were issued as a result of this limited investigation.