What happened
On February 14, 2001, a Puma SA330 helicopter, registration ZU-BRK, was conducting a commercial flight from Cape Town toward De Hoek, situated near Oudtshoorn. The flight carried a total of eight people, including the pilot, two crewmembers, and five passengers.
After nearly two hours of flight, the aircraft arrived at its destination but overshot the intended landing site. The pilot began performing several orbits over an open field characterized by surrounding high-altitude terrain. During the attempt to land, the helicopter initiated a steep approach descent over the mountains. This maneuver resulted in a rapid loss of altitude, leading the aircraft to strike the ground roughly 40 meters short of the target area. The impact occurred on a slope, leaving the wreckage resting at a 30-degree left bank over a stream. There were no injuries reported among the occupants.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the final approach over the mountainous landscape. Investigators examined the descent profile and the mechanical state of the aircraft during the period when the helicopter began descending at an uncontrolled rate. The inquiry looked into the pilot's management of the aircraft's power and rotor stability while navigating the steep terrain and the high rate of descent observed prior to impact.