What happened
On 23 March 2016, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, registration ZS-HXS, departed from a helipad located near the control tower at Rand Airport (FAGM) for a ferry flight to Newcastle Aerodrome. The flight was being conducted under private operations.
Shortly after liftoff, the pilot noticed the "Low RPM" warning light and heard an accompanying audio alert. In an attempt to manage the situation, the pilot increased engine power by rolling the throttle, pulled back on the cyclic to gain altitude, and then moved the cyclic forward to build airspeed. Despite these efforts, the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The helicopter struck the ground heavily on its skids and rolled onto its right side. The impact was severe enough that the main rotor blades struck the tail boom, breaking it into multiple pieces. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the pilot and passenger escaped with no injuries.
The investigation
An investigation by the SACAA AIID confirmed that the pilot held a valid private pilot license and was properly rated for the aircraft. The helicopter, which had a total of 5,113.2 flight hours, had undergone a mandatory periodic inspection only nine days prior to the accident.
Investigators determined that the loss of rotor RPM occurred because the pilot initiated a climb too early in the takeoff sequence. Furthermore, the investigation established that the pilot did not maintain continuous monitoring of the rotor RPM during the critical moments following lift-off.