History of the Flight
On Monday, 29 November 2010, a commercial pilot and a private pilot departed from Groblersdal to Theuniskloof farm in the Alldays district for a game capture operation. The helicopter was equipped with dual flight controls. En route, a high engine RPM indication was noted, and the pilots made a precautionary landing on a farm near Baltimore. An aircraft maintenance engineer rectified the fault the following day.
On Wednesday, 1 December, the pilots flew to Theuniskloof farm and conducted game capture flights over the next days. An employee of the helicopter owner transported five 200-litre drums of fuel from Groblersdal to the farm. This employee had previously held a private pilot licence (helicopter), but his aviation medical certificate was cancelled in 2005. At the time of the accident, he was appealing the cancellation.
On Thursday, 2 December, the employee attended a medical appointment in Polokwane as part of his appeal. Early on Friday, 3 December, the commercial pilot and farm owner flew for one hour on a game capture flight. Shortly after landing, the employee claimed his pilot licence had been reinstated following a flight test. He then boarded the helicopter in the right front seat and asked the private pilot to accompany him as a passenger on a local flight. The commercial pilot stated that the employee was not allowed to fly without the owner's consent, but this was ignored.
Approximately five minutes after takeoff, the employee told the passenger he wanted to demonstrate a “left pedal turn.” He applied full left pedal at about 300 feet AGL with an indicated airspeed of 30–40 knots. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable spin. The passenger lost consciousness and regained it after impact. He disembarked unassisted, shut down the engine, and pulled the employee from the wreckage. The farm owner and commercial pilot heard the crash and arrived shortly after. Both occupants were taken to the farmstead. The employee was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Pretoria for surgery to his lower jaw; the passenger sustained minor cuts and bruises.
The accident was reported to the Accident and Incident Investigation Division on 4 December. Subsequent interviews and affidavits confirmed the employee had flown the helicopter and intended to demonstrate the manoeuvre. It was later discovered the helicopter had been used for game capture prior to the accident, contradicting earlier statements.
Injuries to Persons
The person flying (right front seat) suffered serious injuries including broken left ribs, facial injuries, a fractured lower jaw requiring surgery, a compression fracture of the L6 vertebra, and a bloated abdomen. He was hospitalised for seven days. The passenger suffered severe bruising to the lower back; X-rays showed no spinal injury.
Damage to Aircraft
The helicopter was substantially damaged during the impact.
Personnel Information
The person flying was a 40-year-old male with a suspended pilot licence. His medical certificate had been cancelled in 2005, and he had not met the requirements for reinstatement. He held out-of-date ratings. The passenger held a valid private pilot licence (helicopter) with a type endorsement and stated he did not manipulate the controls.
Probable Cause
The person flying the helicopter induced an uncertified manoeuvre in-flight, which caused it to enter a spin, from which he was unable to recover.