History of Flight
On 13 May 2013, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration ZS-RKZ, operated by West Dunes Aviation, departed Vaalwater for a game capture operation in Musina, Limpopo province. The pilot flew for approximately 2.8 hours before landing at Alldays to refuel. The pilot opened a drum of fuel, inserted the pump, and filled the auxiliary tanks to about three-quarters full, while the main tank was left approximately one-quarter full. Shortly after takeoff from Alldays, the engine failed. The pilot executed a forced landing, during which the main rotor blades struck the tail boom, causing substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, and tail boom. The pilot sustained no injuries.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Robinson R44 (serial number 1136, manufactured 2001) had a total airframe time of 1445.4 hours. The last MPI was performed on 10 May 2013 at 1441.6 hours, with 3.8 hours flown since. The Lycoming engine had 1138.4 hours since new. The pilot, aged 31, held a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with a valid Cull rating and a medical certificate valid until 28 February 2014. He had 5967.6 total flying hours, with 2186.9 hours on type. The pilot had a previous accident in 2002 while engaged in a game capture operation.
Meteorological and Environmental Conditions
Weather at the time of the accident was reported by the pilot as wind from the north-east at 5 knots, temperature 22°C, visibility good with CAVOK conditions. No cloud cover was present.
Post-Accident Examination
After the aircraft was recovered to an aircraft maintenance organization, a fuel sample showed a substantial amount of water. The aircraft was not fitted with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, nor was it required by regulations. No evidence of pre- or post-impact fire was observed. The cabin area remained intact, and the pilot was properly restrained, making the accident survivable.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause was an unsuccessful forced landing after an engine failure.