Accident Overview
On 18 June 2000 at 1230Z, a Robinson R22 helicopter, registration ZS-RAA, was involved in an accident approximately 2 nautical miles from Grand Central airport. The pilot was conducting a private flight from Marble Hall to Johannesburg (Indaba Heliport) with the intention of delivering the aircraft to a maintenance facility at Grand Central the following morning.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that the airport was in sight when the engine suddenly failed. The pilot entered autorotation. During the descent, the pilot had to turn away from a line of trees to avoid a collision. In the process, the rotor rpm decayed to a point where there was insufficient inertia to arrest the rate of descent, resulting in a hard landing.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a Private Pilot License and had a total of 1017 flying hours, of which 389 were on type. The aircraft was a Robinson R22. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as fine.
Occupants and Injuries
There was one person on board, the pilot, who was injured. No fatalities occurred.
Probable Cause
The engine failure was attributed to fuel starvation, leading to the subsequent hard landing.