Eurocopter EC120 Rotor Strike During Game Darting in Kruger National Park (ZS-RLN)

Incident Overview and Context On 23 August 2005, a Eurocopter EC120 registered as ZS-RLN was involved in an accident during a game-darting operation in the Kruger National Park. The helicopter departed from Skukuza Aerodrome in Mpumalanga at 0545Z, with the intended landing point at Ngotso Dam, approximately 20 km north of Satara Camp. The operation was part of a registered research project to capture buffalo. The pilot, a 44-year-old commercial pilot with 7,174.6 total flying hours and 294.5 hours on type, was accompanied by a trainee veterinarian in the right front seat and a veterinarian in the rear, who was responsible for darting the animals. The veterinarian was properly restrained with a lap strap and a safety harness. The accident site was located at GPS coordinates South 24° 10.502’ East 031° 45.299’. Surface winds were 020° at 10 kts, the temperature was 24°C, and visibility was good. ## Operational Sequence and Accident The pilot flew the helicopter from the left-hand side of the cockpit. After locating a herd of approximately 350 to 400 buffalo, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft low over the animals to divide them into smaller groups. The veterinarian began darting while the pilot positioned the helicopter. During this process, the main rotor blades struck the top of a knob thorn tree in a flat, relatively open area containing stunted trees 2 to 3 meters high. The pilot became aware of the strike when leaves and debris were observed in the air. The aircraft remained stable with minimal vibration, and the pilot flew it to a clear area 200 to 300 meters away, where an uneventful landing was made. No injuries were reported among the three people on board. The helicopter’s last mandatory periodic inspection was certified on 26 June 2005 at 3,385.8 airframe hours.