What happened
On 30 August 2005, a Robinson R22-Beta, registration ZS-RBN, was conducting a game capture operation near Nsobe Game Camp, Zambia. The flight involved a pilot and one passenger, a member of the camp personnel. After approximately 90 minutes of operational work, the pilot landed to refuel the aircraft, taking 40 liters of avgas from a drum.
Shortly after departing for the next phase of the mission, the helicopter had been airborne for roughly 10 minutes when the pilot began a left turn. During this maneuver, the engine and main rotor RPM began to decay. In an attempt to recover the necessary RPM, the pilot lowered the collective and adjusted the throttle, but these actions failed to stabilize the aircraft. The helicopter subsequently descended into the vegetation, where the main rotor blades struck tree branches. The aircraft impacted the ground on its left skid and rolled onto its port side.
The investigation
The investigation into the incident was conducted by the Zambian authorities, as the occurrence took place within their jurisdiction. The inquiry examined the sequence of events following the refueling stop and the subsequent loss of power during the turn. There were no injuries reported among the two occupants.