What happened
On 9 September 2000, at approximately 1530Z, a Robinson R22 helicopter, registered as ZS-HWD, was engaged in wildlife management activities within the Messina Nature Reserve. The aircraft, operated by Gamework Helicopters, was performing game capturing duties when the pilot maneuvered the aircraft in close proximity to vegetation. During this operation, the tail rotor made contact with a tree.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of control. It was established that the contact between the tail rotor and the tree resulted in an immediate mechanical failure of the rotor system. Following this impact, the aircraft experienced a violent yaw to the right, which subsequently led to the helicopter striking another tree.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the pilot allowed the tail rotor to strike a tree while performing game capture tasks.
- The impact with the tree directly caused the failure of the tail rotor system.
- The resulting loss of anti-torque control caused the aircraft to yaw uncontrollably, leading to the secondary impact with a tree.