What happened
On 13 August 2010, a Robinson R44, registration ZS-CVW, was conducting a private flight from the West Rand area in Gauteng toward Piet Retief in Mpumalanga. After stopping at Rand Airport to refuel, the aircraft proceeded toward Ermelo. During the flight, the helicopter was observed flying at a low altitude near the N17 highway.
While traversing the area, the aircraft struck electrical power cables spanning the highway. The impact caused debris to fall onto the road and smoke to emerge from the cabin. Following the strike, the helicopter's right skid hit a roadside barrier, causing the aircraft to flip over an embankment. The subsequent impact with the ground caused the rotor blades to strike the earth and the aircraft to burst into flames. Despite attempts by nearby construction workers to extinguish the fire using a water pump, the intensity of the blaze was too great. The pilot and two passengers all sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the wreckage and the site of the collision. The investigation established that the electrical masts were approximately 10.8 meters high, and the aircraft struck the 11 kV cables at a height of roughly 9.4 meters above the ground. Physical evidence on the cyclic control indicated it had been scraped by the metal cables.
Medical examinations of the pilot revealed fractures to the hand and injuries to the chest, suggesting the cables physically struck the pilot during the collision. This contact may have caused immediate incapacitation. The investigation also confirmed that the engine was functioning normally at the time of the impact, as the aircraft maintained a high forward speed until it hit the ground 280 meters past the wires. There was no evidence of mechanical failure or pilot illness prior to the strike.